Alvord Lake (Oregon) Explained

Alvord Lake
Location:Harney County, Oregon, U.S.
Coords:42.3796°N 118.6055°W
Type:seasonal, alkali
Inflow:Mosquito Creek, Willow Creek, Wildhorse Creek, Whitehorse Creek, Trout Creek, and Van Horn Creek
Catchment:2150mi2
Basin Countries:United States
Pushpin Map:Oregon#USA
Pushpin Map Alt:Alvord Lake is located in Oregon
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Alvord Lake in Oregon, USA.

Alvord Lake is a seasonal[1] shallow alkali lake in Harney County of the U.S. state of Oregon. Its elevation is 4026feet.[2] It is located about 10miles southeast of Alvord Desert in the Alvord Basin and serves as terminus for all its streams. Its water level varies from dry to several feet deep. The nearest habitation is tiny Fields, 14.1km (08.8miles) SSW.

At one time, Alvord Lake stretched 100miles along the east side of Steens Mountain.[1]

The Alvord Basin covers about 2150mi2 bounded on the northwest by Steens Mountain, on the southwest by the Pueblo Mountains, on the southeast by the Trout Creek Mountains, and on the northeast by the Sheepshead Mountains.[3] Major tributaries are Mosquito Creek, Willow Creek, Wildhorse Creek, Whitehorse Creek, Trout Creek, and Van Horn Creek.[3]

The tributaries of Alvord Lake were home to the endemic Alvord cutthroat trout, which is now considered extinct through hybridization with non-native rainbow trout.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Basin and Range and Owyhee Uplands. Learn more about Oregon's geology. Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. 2008-06-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20080725123638/http://www.oregongeology.com/sub/learnmore/BasinRangeOwyheeuplands.HTM. 2008-07-25. dead.
  2. 1116903. Alvord Lake. 2008-06-30.
  3. Web site: Alvord Lake Subbasin TMDLs. pdf. 2003-09-24. B. Lamb. Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality. 2008-06-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20110723022519/http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/pubs/factsheets/tmdls/alvord.pdf. 2011-07-23. dead.