Engle Lake, originally named ''Laguna del Muerto'' (Lake of the Deadman) by the Spanish, is a seasonal
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
in the
Jornada del Muerto region in
Sierra County,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
. It lies at an elevation or in the depression in the Jornada Del Muerto
basin.
[George D. Torok, From the Pass to the Pueblos, Sunstone Press, Santa Fe, Dec 1, 2011]
/ref>
History
Laguna del Muerto was an important paraje along the route of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
The Camino Real de Tierra Adentro ( en, Royal Road of the Interior Land), also known as the Silver Route, was a Spanish road between Mexico City and San Juan Pueblo (''Ohkay Owingeh''), New Mexico, USA, that was used from 1598 to 1882. It was ...
in the Jornada del Muerto. It provided seasonal water and grass that grew in the lake bottom as the surface water dried up and even afterward the lake bottom retained the water within it for the grass. Once the lake was dry the only water available was at a spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season)
Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of ...
, Ojo del Muerto, six miles to the west in Cañon del Muerto in the southern Fra Cristobal Range
The Fra Cristobal Range, (Fra Cristóbal Range) is a 17 mi (27 km) long, mountain range in central-north Sierra County, New Mexico. Its northern extreme above Fra Cristoblal Mountain extends into Socorro County. The range borders the ...
.[
]
References
Jornada del Muerto
Bodies of water of Sierra County, New Mexico
Lakes of New Mexico
{{NewMexico-geo-stub