Lost Lake is a shallow closed-basin lake in the Willamette National Forest [3] 29 kilometres (18 mi) southwest of Mount Jefferson and east of Santiam Junction, Oregon, United States.
| Lost Lake | |
|---|---|
 Lost Lake and fall colors in Cascades along Highway 20. Linn County | |
  Lost Lake  Lost Lake | |
| Location | Linn County, Oregon, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°25′57″N 121°54′34″W / 44.43262°N 121.909506°W |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 1 km (0.62 mi) |
| Surface area | 50 acres (20 ha) |
| Surface elevation | 3,983 ft (1,214 m) |
| References | [1][2] |
Geologically, much of the area surrounding the lake is lava bed created during a period of volcanic activity around 1000 BCE in the Cascade Range of Oregon.[4] Water levels on the lake change significantly over the seasons; in spring, autumn, and winter the lake is a popular fishing location, but during the summer the lake drains completely through lava tube drain holes in the bottom of the lake. Open lava tubes are scattered around the region, and the nearby Fish Lake (44°24′04″N 122°00′50″W / 44.40122°N 122.01377°W) is another lake with underwater drain holes.[5] Over the years, locals have attempted to fill in the drain holes with debris,[5] and used heavy machinery to carve holes elsewhere in the lakebed to keep some water from draining out.[6] A research project in 2003 inferred that the water goes through the lava tubes into Clear Lake 9.5 km (5.9 mi) southwest.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Lost Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ "Waterbody Information For Lost Lake". Oregon Fish Finder. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Willamette National Forest - Lost Lake Campground". Fs.usda.gov. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
- ^ Bishop, Ellen Morris (2006). In Search of Ancient Oregon: A Geological and Natural History. Timber Press. ISBN 9780881927894.
- ^ a b Hammers, Scott (24 April 2015). "Lost Lake shrinking down a hole - Lava tube drains lake on Santiam Pass". Bend Bulletin. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
- ^ Attig, Rick (26 July 1990). "Special lake is lost along the highway". Bend Bulletin.
- ^ Fire and water: Volcanology, geomorphology, and hydrogeology of the Cascade Range, central Oregon (PDF). GSA Field Guides (Report). Vol. 15. Geological Society of America. 2009. pp. 539–582.