Clear Lake (Linn County, Oregon)

Clear Lake
Clear Lake, Linn County, Oregon
Clear Lake Location of Clear Lake in Oregon, USA. Show map of Oregon Clear Lake Clear Lake (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	Linn County, Oregon, United States
Coordinates	44°21′38″N 121°59′33″W
Type	natural lake
Primary outflows	McKenzie River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	148 acres (0.60 km^2)
Average depth	50 ft (15 m)
Max. depth	175 ft (53 m)
Water volume	11,800 acre⋅ft (0.0146 km^3)
Residence time	0.5 mo
Shore length^1	3.2 mi (5.1 km)
Surface elevation	3,012 ft (918 m)
^1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Clear Lake is a mountain lake 86 mi (138 km) northeast of Eugene, Oregon, United States in Linn County. It has two main bodies connected by a bottleneck. The lake is primarily fed by snow runoff from nearby Mount Washington and the surrounding areas. The runoff filters through caverns for more than 20 years before emptying into Clear Lake. The lake is also fed by two small creeks, which may dry up seasonally, along with Great Spring, the source of the McKenzie River.

Clear Lake is the headwaters of the McKenzie River, which is the sole source of drinking water for Eugene.^[1]

Diving

Clear Lake is reported to be one of the most exceptional freshwater dive spots in Oregon.^[2] Submerged 100 feet (30 m) deep in the lake is a stand of upright trees that were killed approximately 3,000 years ago when volcanic activity created the lake. The trees are remarkably preserved due to the cold year-round water temperatures of between 35–43 °F (1.6–6 °C).^[2]

Hiking

Clear Lake is circled by Clear Lake Loop Trail,^[3] a hike loop made up of Clear Lake Trail and McKenzie River Trail that is 5 miles (8.0 km) long. An accompanying trail guide prepared by Willamette National Forest tells visitors about Clear Lake and the neighboring lava field and forest.^[4]

See also

• List of lakes in Oregon

References

1. "Eugene Water & Electric Board: McKenzie Water Quality.org". Retrieved 2007-08-29.
2. "Clear Lake Resort". Archived from the original on 2009-05-26. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
3. "Clear Lake Loop Trail #4341". usda.gov. United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
4. "Clear Lake Loop in Willamette National Forest". hikespeak.com. Hikespeak. Retrieved December 24, 2017.

External links

• Media related to Clear Lake (Linn County, Oregon) at Wikimedia Commons
• "Clear Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.