Alkali Lake (Oregon)

Alkali Lake
Alkali Lake, a dry lakebed in Lake County, Oregon
Alkali Lake dry lakebed and surrounding desert
Location of lake in Oregon
Location of lake in Oregon
Alkali Lake
LocationLake County, Oregon
Coordinates42°58′38″N 120°01′41″W / 42.97722°N 120.02806°W / 42.97722; -120.02806
Lake typeseasonal, alkali
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface elevation4,332 ft (1,320 m)

Alkali Lake is a geographic sink located in Lake County, Oregon, United States. It lies within the Alkali Subbasin of the Summer Lake Basin watershed in southeastern Oregon.[1] The lake is situated 26 miles east of Christmas Valley, Oregon, northeast of Lake Abert,[2] and directly west of Abert Rim and Highway 395.

Alkali Lake is believed to have reached a prehistoric maximum depth of 270.7 feet (82.5 meters) and covered about 1,448.4 square miles (3,751 square kilometers). Since then, its water level has fluctuated, with a general trend towards drying.[1] Notable features include dissolved alkaline salts averaging 10% of total brine weight in its seasonal waters[2] and a nearby chemical disaster, Alkali Lake Chemical Waste Dump.

Plants

Plants known to occur in the dunes immediately north of the lake include:[3]

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Alkali Lake has a steppe climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.

Climate data for Alkali Lake
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 63
(17) 		72
(22) 		78
(26) 		88
(31) 		97
(36) 		100
(38) 		108
(42) 		105
(41) 		101
(38) 		90
(32) 		75
(24) 		69
(21) 		108
(42)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 42.2
(5.7) 		46.1
(7.8) 		51.2
(10.7) 		59.1
(15.1) 		69.1
(20.6) 		77.9
(25.5) 		87.7
(30.9) 		86.4
(30.2) 		78.1
(25.6) 		65.8
(18.8) 		49.9
(9.9) 		41.9
(5.5) 		63
(17)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 19.2
(−7.1) 		22.5
(−5.3) 		25.1
(−3.8) 		28.7
(−1.8) 		35
(2) 		42.2
(5.7) 		46.8
(8.2) 		45.5
(7.5) 		37.1
(2.8) 		29.6
(−1.3) 		24.4
(−4.2) 		18.8
(−7.3) 		31.2
(−0.4)
Record low °F (°C) −38
(−39) 		−26
(−32) 		−11
(−24) 		6
(−14) 		4
(−16) 		23
(−5) 		30
(−1) 		26
(−3) 		14
(−10) 		−2
(−19) 		−10
(−23) 		−33
(−36) 		−38
(−39)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.61
(15) 		0.54
(14) 		0.77
(20) 		0.84
(21) 		1.22
(31) 		1
(25) 		0.48
(12) 		0.64
(16) 		0.48
(12) 		0.69
(18) 		0.73
(19) 		0.66
(17) 		8.65
(220)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 2.9
(7.4) 		1.8
(4.6) 		1.8
(4.6) 		1.4
(3.6) 		0.5
(1.3) 		0.1
(0.25) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0.2
(0.51) 		2
(5.1) 		3.8
(9.7) 		14.4
(37)
Average precipitation days 5 5 7 6 6 5 2 3 3 4 6 6 58
Source: [4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b US Fish & Wildlife Service website
  2. ^ a b McArthur, p. 10
  3. ^ "Alkali Lake: 6/24/2003".
  4. ^ "ALKALI LAKE, OR (350118)". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved November 22, 2015.

Works cited


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