Goose Lake (Oregon–California)
| Goose Lake | |
|---|---|
 An alkaline dust storm blowing intoLakeview, Oregon,over the deeper north end of the lake (seen fromU.S. Route 395near Sugar Hill, 2009) | |
  Goose Lake  Goose Lake  Goose Lake | |
| Location | Fremont National ForestandModoc National Forest Lake County, Oregonand Modoc County, California |
| Coordinates | 41°55′0″N120°26′4″W/ 41.91667°N 120.43444°W |
| Lake type | Pluvialandalkaline |
| Primary inflows | Willow Creek Thomas Creek |
| Primary outflows | Closed basin with rare flows to thePit Rivervia theRussell Slough |
| Catchment area | 1,080 sq mi (2,800 km2)[1] |
| Basincountries | United States |
| Max. length | 42 km (26 mi) |
| Max. width | 15 km (9.3 mi) |
| Surface area | 147 sq mi (380 km2)[2] |
| Max. depth | 8 m (26 ft) |
| Shore length1 | 110 km (68 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 1,434 m (4,705 ft) |
| Settlements | Fairport, California Willow Ranch, California |
| References | [1][2][3] |
| 1Shore length isnot a well-defined measure. | |
Goose Lakeis a largealkaline lakein theGoose Lake Valleyon theOregon–Californiaborder in the United States. Like many other lakes in theGreat Basin,it is apluvial lakethat formed from precipitation and melting glaciers during thePleistoceneepoch.[4][5]The north portion of the lake is inLake County, Oregon,and the south portion is inModoc County, California.The mountains at the north end of the lake are part of theFremont National Forest,and the south end of the lake is adjacent toModoc National Forestlands. Most of the valley property around the lake is privately owned agricultural land, thoughGoose Lake State Recreation Areais on the Oregon side of the lake.
Goose Lake is the center of a semi-closeddrainage basin.Its watershed is normallyendorheic,but sometimes flows into thePit River,part of theSacramento Riverwatershed, during periods of high water following heavy rainfall or snowmelt. During the 1970s and 1980s, theUSGSdefined Goose Lake as part of the Sacramento's watershed,[1]but has redefined Goose Lake's watershed as a closed basin.[2]
Background[edit]
Goose Lake is part of ageological troughwhich runs from Oregon southward pastDeath Valley,theWalker Lane.[6]
Goose Lake State Recreation Area includes a campground with various amenities. The park attracts wildlife watchers, campers, and boaters. The campground is open mid-April to mid-October.[7]It is habitat to many flora and fauna includingwestern grebe,long-billed curlew,and a large herd ofmule deerwhich spend much of the time in the 48-site campground.
Recreational activities on or around the lake include kayaking, canoeing, and hunting, but not fishing. When the lake is full, it has a maximum depth of 24 feet (7.3 meters).
The lake is located near the historicFandango Passroute that 19th century settlers used to enter California. In the mid-19th century, particularly during theCalifornia Gold Rush,theApplegate-Lassen Cut-Offof theCalifornia Trailleft the main route of that Trail near present-dayRye Patch Reservoir,and crossed theBlack Rock Desert,on the way to Goose Lake and the California gold fields. TheLassen Cut-Offcontinued down thePit Riverinto California'sCentral Valley,while theApplegate Cut-Offwent into southern Oregon along theLost River.
The lake completely dried up in the years 1851, 1852, 1926, 1929–1934, 1992,[8]2009, and 2013-2015. Goose Lake overflowed into the Pit River watershed in 1868.[9]Formerly, Goose Lake was the regular source of the Pit River, but water diversion has caused the lake level to drop below its outlet. The Pit River's source is now south of Goose Lake, and the lake's salinity is increasing, threatening fish populations. During rare high water levels, Goose Lake still spills into the Pit River.[5][10]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^abc"Boundary Descriptions and Names of Regions, Subregions, Accounting Units and Cataloging Units".USGS.RetrievedNovember 16,2010.
- ^abc"Watershed Boundary Dataset".USDA,NRCS,National Cartography and Geospatial Center.RetrievedSeptember 4,2010.ArcExplorerGISdata viewer.
- ^U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Goose Lake
- ^Grayson, p. 87, 93–94, 96
- ^abGreen, p. 75
- ^"Walker Lane"(PDF).A Tapestry of Time and Terrain: The Union of Two Maps - Geology and Topography.United States Geological Survey.p. 7.Retrieved2010-06-06.
- ^"Goose Lake State Recreation Area".Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.RetrievedNovember 8,2014.
- ^"Goose Lake - Fish, Wildlife and Rare Plants".Pit River Watershed Alliance. October 10, 2007.RetrievedNovember 16,2009.
- ^Grayson, p. 94
- ^"Welcome to the Pit River Watershed Alliance".Pit River Watershed Alliance. October 10, 2007.RetrievedNovember 16,2009.
Works cited[edit]
- Grayson, Donald K. (2011).The Great Basin: A Natural Prehistory(Revised ed.). University of California Press.ISBN978-0-520-26747-3.
- Green, Stewart M. (2005).Scenic Driving California(Second ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: The Globe Pequot Press.ISBN0-7627-3481-7.
