North Fm Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake is a caldera lake in the western United States, located in south-central Oregon. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and... more

by Bob and Nadine Johnston

Title

North Fm Crater Lake National Park

Artist

Bob and Nadine Johnston

Medium

Painting - Digital - Save A Bundle On 10 Or 25 Gift/note Cards... @ Our Cost

Description

Crater Lake is a caldera lake in the western United States, located in south-central Oregon. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and is famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fills a nearly 2,148-foot deep caldera that was formed around 7,700 years ago by the collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama. There are no rivers flowing into or out of the lake; the evaporation is compensated for by rain and snowfall at a rate such that the total amount of water is replaced every 250 years. At 1,943 feet, the lake is the deepest in the United States, the seventh or ninth deepest in the world, depending on of average or maximum depth is measured.

Crater Lake is also known for the "Old Man of the Lake", a full-sized tree, now a stump that has been bobbing vertically in the lake for over a century. The low temperature of the water has slowed the decomposition of the wood, hence the longevity of the bobbing tree.

Two islands are in Crater Lake; Wizard Island formed from a cinder cone that erupted after Crater Lake began to fill with water, and the smaller Phantom Ship has seven different trees living on it. There are also colonies of violet green swallows and several varieties of wildflowers and lichens living there.

While having no indigenous fish population, the lake was stocked from 1888 to 1941 with a variety of fish. Several species have formed self-sustaining populations Since 2002, one of the state's regular-issue license plate designs has featured Crater Lake. The commemorative Oregon State Quarter, which was released by the United States Mint in 2005, features an image of Crater Lake on its reverse.

Due to several unique factors, mainly that the lake has no inlets or tributaries, the waters of Crater Lake are some of the purest because of the absence of pollutants. Clarity readings from a Secchi disk have consistently been in the high 80 to 115-foot range, which is very clear for any natural body of water. In 1997, scientists recorded a record clarity of 142 ft. The lake has relatively high levels of dissolved salts, total alkalinity, and conductivity. The average pH has generally ranged between 7 and 8, which we believe is very good for the skin and hair.

The Klamath Native Americans, may have witnessed the collapse of Mount Mazama and formation of Crater Lake, have long regarded the lake as a sacred site. Their legends tell of a battle between the sky god Skell and Llao, the god of the underworld. Mount Mazama was destroyed in the battle, creating Crater Lake. The Klamath people used Crater Lake in vision quests, which often involved climbing the caldera walls and other dangerous tasks. Those who were successful in such quests were often regarded as having more spiritual powers. The tribe still holds Crater Lake in high regard as a spiritual site.

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October 5th, 2014