Gerber Reservoir is an irrigation impoundment created by

Gerber Dam Gerber Dam is a concrete arch dam located 14 miles east of Bonanza, Oregon, and about 12 miles north of the California border, in Klamath County, Oregon. The dam was completed in 1925 by the United States Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Klama ...

. It is located in southern Klamath County,

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

, United States. The reservoir covers . The dam and reservoir are named in honor of Louis C. Gerber, an early pioneer who owned much of the land flooded by the reservoir. Today, the reservoir and surrounding property is owned by the United States Government. It is administered by the Bureau of Reclamation and the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...

. Gerber Reservoir is a popular outdoor recreation site with two campgrounds along its west shore.

History

Native Americans occupied sites around what is now Gerber Reservoir for perhaps 6,400 years before the first European settlers arrived in the area. Ancient campsites have been found in the area of Gerber Reservoir. Family bands of

Klamath Klamath may refer to: Ethnic groups *Klamath people, a Native American people of California and Oregon **Klamath Tribes, a federally recognized group of tribes in Oregon *Klamath language, spoken by the Klamath people Places in the United States * ...

and

Modoc Modoc may refer to: Ethnic groups *Modoc people, a Native American/First Nations people ** Modoc language **Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe of Modoc *Modoc War, the last armed resistance of the Modoc people in 1873 *The "Mo ...

peoples used these sites from early spring through fall for

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

, and plant gathering activities.''Gerber Recreation Area''
(PDF), Lakeview District, Bureau of Land Management, United States Department of Interior, Lakeview, Oregon, 23 August 2005. Louis C. Gerber (1854–1930) and his family were among the first whites to settle in the area. In the mid-1880s, Gerber used the Swamp Act to acquire along Miller Creek on the high plateau northeast of the Langell Valley. In 1895, he filed a homestead claim on an adjacent parcel. By 1915, Gerber had also purchased 20 abandoned homesteads in the same area. He consolidated all these properties into the Gerber Ranch. In 1923, Gerber sold to the United States Government. This area was flooded when the Bureau of Reclamation completed the Miller Creek impoundment dam in June 1925. Both the dam and the reservoir it created were named in his honor.Brown, Brooke
"Gerber Family"
(PDF), ''The Gerber Family Legacy on Public Lands'', Klamath Falls Resource Area, Lakeview District, Bureau of Land Management, United States Department of Interior, Klamath Falls, Oregon, ca. 2011, pp. 1-–3.Johnson, Daniel M., "Gerber Reservoir (Klamath)", ''Atlas of Oregon Lakes'', Oregon State University Press: Corvallis, Oregon, 1985
on-line version
maintained by the Center for Lakes and Reservoirs, Portland State University. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the island in the middle of Gerber Reservoir was used as a United States military bombing range.Ostertag, Rhonda and George Ostertag, ''Camping Oregon'' (third edition), Morris Book Publishing, 2013, Kearney, Nebraska, pp. 240–241. Today,

osprey The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...

s and pelicans nest on the island.

Watershed

Gerber Reservoir is located on the east side of the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...

in southern Oregon. The reservoir's water comes from Miller Creek and its tributaries. In addition to Miller Creek, Barnes Creek, Barnes Valley Creek, and Ben Hall Creek are year-around tributaries of the reservoir. There are also a number of

ephemeral Ephemerality (from the Greek word , meaning 'lasting only one day') is the concept of things being transitory, existing only briefly. Academically, the term ephemeral constitutionally describes a diverse assortment of things and experiences, fr ...

tributaries that dry up in summer. The reservoir's outlet is Miller Creek, as it flows over Gerber Dam. From there, the water flows southwest through Miller Creek Canyon to the Langell Valley, where it runs into the Lost River.Gerber Reservoir topographic map
United States Geological Survey, United States Department of Interior, Reston, Virginia; displayed via ACME mapper, ''www.acme.com'', 11 August 2012. The watershed that drains into Gerber Reservoir covers . There are three primary vegetation zones that make up the watershed: coniferous forest,

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...

woodlands, and shrub-steppe. There are also some

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artifi ...

lands within the pine forest zone and in riparian areas along drainages that empty into the reservoir from the north and south. The watershed to the north, south, and west of the reservoir are pine forest. The area east of the reservoir is mostly juniper woodlands. The areas immediately surrounding the reservoir are shrub-steppe.Silvermoon, Jon Massoglia
"Flora"
''Archaeological Investigations at the Peninsula Site, 35KL87, Gerber Reservoir, South-Central Oregon'', Cultural Resource Series Number 11, Bureau of Land Management, United States Department of Interior, Portland, Oregon, 1994, pp. 6–7. The vegetation in the coniferous forest is dominated by ponderosa pine. Other tree species found in the watershed are lodgepole pine,

sugar pine ''Pinus lambertiana'' (commonly known as the sugar pine or sugar cone pine) is the tallest and most massive pine tree, and has the longest cones of any conifer. The species name ''lambertiana'' was given by the Scottish botanist David Douglas, ...

, white fir, and

incense cedar ''Calocedrus'', the incense cedar (alternatively spelled incense-cedar), is a genus of coniferous trees in the cypress family Cupressaceae first described as a genus in 1873. It is native to eastern Asia and western North America. The generi ...

. The forest understory include mountain mahogany,

big sagebrush ''Artemisia tridentata'', commonly called big sagebrush,MacKay, Pam (2013), ''Mojave Desert Wildflowers'', 2nd ed., , p. 264. Great Basin sagebrush or (locally) simply sagebrush, is an aromatic shrub from the family Asteraceae, which grows in ari ...

low sagebrush ''Artemisia arbuscula'' is a North American species of sagebrush (plant), sagebrush known by the common names little sagebrush, low sagebrush, or black sagebrush. It is native to the western United States from Washington (U.S. state), Washington, ...

rabbitbrush Rabbitbrush is a common name for shrubs, principally of the western United States, in three related genera of the family Asteraceae: * '' Chrysothamnus'' — about seven species in the United States, including Greene's rabbitbrush * ''Ericame ...

bitterbrush ''Purshia'' (bitterbrush or cliff-rose) is a small genus of 5–8 species of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae which are native to western North America. Description ''Purshia'' species form deciduous or evergreen shrubs, typically reach ...

, and manzanita. Other common forest plants include

ceanothus ''Ceanothus'' is a genus of about 50–60 species of Actinorhizal plant, nitrogen-fixing shrubs and small trees in the buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae). Common names for members of this genus are buckbrush, California lilac, soap bush, or just ceano ...

huckleberry Huckleberry is a name used in North America for several plants in the family Ericaceae, in two closely related genera: ''Vaccinium'' and ''Gaylussacia''. The huckleberry is the state fruit of Idaho. Nomenclature The name 'huckleberry' is a Nort ...

snowberry ''Symphoricarpos'', commonly known as the snowberry, waxberry, or ghostberry, is a small genus of about 15 species of deciduous shrubs in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae. With the exception of the Chinese coralberry, '' S. sinensis'', whi ...

, blue elderberry,

chokecherry ''Prunus virginiana'', commonly called bitter-berry, chokecherry, Virginia bird cherry, and western chokecherry (also black chokecherry for ''P. virginiana'' var. ''demissa''), is a species of bird cherry (''Prunus'' subgenus ''Padus'') nat ...

twinberry Twinberry is a common name for several plants and may refer to: *''Lonicera involucrata'', a shrub native to western North America *''Myrcianthes fragrans ''Myrcianthes fragrans'', commonly known as twinberry or Simpson's stopper, is a tree in ...

, and

serviceberry ''Amelanchier'' ( ), also known as shadbush, shadwood or shadblow, serviceberry or sarvisberry (or just sarvis), juneberry, saskatoon, sugarplum, wild-plum or chuckley pear,A Digital Flora of Newfoundland and Labrador Vascular Plants/ref> is a g ...

. Flowering plants include lupine, vetch,

asters ''Aster'' is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Its circumscription has been narrowed, and it now encompasses around 170 species, all but one of which are restricted to Eurasia; many species formerly in ''Aster'' are ...

biscuitroot ''Lomatium'' is a genus in the family Apiaceae. It consists of about 100 species native to western Northern America and northern Mexico. Its common names include biscuitroot, Indian parsley, and desert parsley. It is in the family Apiaceae and t ...

balsamroot ''Balsamorhiza'' is a genus of plants in the family Asteraceae known commonly as balsamroots. These are perennials with fleshy taproots and caudices bearing erect stems and large, basal leaves. Atop the tall stems are showy yellow sunflower-like ...

, wild strawberry, yarrow, and dandelion. Grasses found in the forested areas include

Idaho fescue ''Festuca idahoensis'' is a species of grass known by the common names Idaho fescue and blue bunchgrass. It is native to western North America, where it is widespread and common. It can be found in many ecosystems, from shady forests to open plai ...

intermediate wheatgrass ''Thinopyrum intermedium'', known commonly as intermediate wheatgrass, is a sod-forming perennial grass in the Triticeae tribe of Pooideae native to Europe and Western Asia. It is part of a group of plants commonly called wheatgrasses because of ...

, bluebunch wheatgrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, and Thurber needlegrass. Invasive species include Kentucky bluegrass and cheatgrass brome. There are also quaking aspen in the upland meadows areas dispersed within the pine forest portion of the watershed. Juniper woodlands are drier forest areas with shallow, sandy soil. Western juniper is the dominant species. The understory is similar to the pine forest with big sagebrush and bitterbrush widely distributed. Mountain mahogany, low sagebrush, rabbitbrush, and gray horsebrush are common in some areas. Grasses include Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, granite prickly-phlox, western needlegrass, and Sandberg bluegrass. The shrub-steppe areas around Gerber Reservoir are generally dominated by big sagebrush with low sagebrush common in rocky areas. Other vegetation includes rabbitbrush,

spiny hopsage Spiny may refer to: * Spiny, Poland, a village in the district of Gmina Pakosławice, within Nysa County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland * Spiny, a fictional four-legged creature in the ''Mario'' franchise, often thrown by Lakitu La ...

, wax currant,

desert parsley A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one ...

, willow dock,

blazing star ''Blazing Star'' is a shoot 'em up video game developed by Yumekobo and published by SNK in 1998 for the Neo Geo arcade and home systems. It is a follow-up to '' Pulstar'' (1995) and features side-scrolling action similar to its predecessor an ...

sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), as ...

, plains mustard,

tarweed Tarweed or tarplant is a common name for several plants and may refer to: *Various plants in the tribe Madieae of the family Asteraceae: **''Anisocarpus madioides'' **''Blepharizonia'' **'' Centromadia'' **''Deinandra'' **''Harmonia'' **''Hemizonel ...

manna grass ''Glyceria'' is a widespread genus of grass family common across Eurasia, Australia, North Africa, and the Americas. ''Glyceria'' is known commonly as mannagrass in the United States, or, in the UK, sweet-grass. These are perennial rhizomatous ...

buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as '' Fago ...

, and ryegrass.

Environment

Gerber Reservoir is an irrigation impoundment created by Gerber Dam. The reservoir covers . It is approximately long and wide. The reservoir has a branching shape with shallow arms that follow various watershed drainages. There is one permanent island in the middle of the reservoir. The reservoir has an average depth of with a maximum depth of . Its elevation is above sea level. While very few aquatic plants live in the shallow branches, the reservoir is still very productive. Its trophic state is classified as eutrophic. A combination of suspended inorganic matter and

phytoplankton Phytoplankton () are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from the Greek words (), meaning 'plant', and (), meaning 'wanderer' or 'drifter'. Ph ...

growth limit the water's transparency. In the main part of the reservoir, the water is deep enough for thermal stratification. In the deeper thermal layers, there is less oxygen than is found near the surface. The reservoir is in the rain shadow of the Cascade Range. As a result, the weather in the Gerber area is typical of high plateaus in the northern

Basin and Range Province The Basin and Range Province is a vast physiographic region covering much of the inland Western United States and northwestern Mexico. It is defined by unique basin and range topography, characterized by abrupt changes in elevation, alternating ...

. It is characterized by ample sunshine, low precipitation, and wide temperature ranges. Low humidity causes rapid evaporation. As a rule, winters in the Gerber area are long and summers mild.Silvermoon, Jon Massoglia
"Climate"
''Archaeological Investigations at the Peninsula Site, 35KL87, Gerber Reservoir, South-Central Oregon'', Cultural Resource Series Number 11, Bureau of Land Management, United States Department of Interior, Portland, Oregon, 1994, pp. 5–6. The annual average high temperature at Gerber Reservoir is . The warmest month is normally July, which has an average high of . The annual average low temperature is . January is normally the coldest month, with an average low of . Gerber gets an average of of precipitation per year, much of it coming as snow. Precipitation occurs mainly in the winter with smaller amounts in the fall and spring. Summers are generally dry except during localized thunderstorms. The prevailing winds are from the west and south.

Ecology

The meadows near the reservoir have camas and

tufted hairgrass ''Deschampsia cespitosa'', commonly known as tufted hairgrass or tussock grass, is a perennial tufted plant in the grass family Poaceae. Distribution of this species is widespread including the eastern and western coasts of North America, parts o ...

. Wetlands along the reservoir shoreline have

sedge The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' wit ...

cattail ''Typha'' is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrush or reedmace, in American English as reed, cattail, or punks, in A ...

s, bulrushes, arumleaf arrowroot, pond lily,

sago pondweed ''Stuckenia pectinata'' (Synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''Potamogeton pectinatus''), commonly called sago pondweed or fennel pondweed, and sometimes called ribbon weed, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan water plant species that grows in fres ...

, widgeon grass,

sego lily ''Calochortus nuttallii'', also known as the sego lily, is a bulbous perennial plant that is endemic to the Western United States. It is the state flower of Utah. Distribution and habitat The plant is native to a number of western states, bei ...

, burr weed, and

tule ''Schoenoplectus acutus'' ( syn. ''Scirpus acutus, Schoenoplectus lacustris, Scirpus lacustris'' subsp. ''acutus''), called tule , common tule, hardstem tule, tule rush, hardstem bulrush, or viscid bulrush, is a giant species of sedge in the pl ...

. There are also

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

s in riparian areas along drainages that empty into the reservoir. The reservoir's game fish includes

white crappie The white crappie (''Pomoxis annularis'') is a freshwater fish found in North America, one of the two species of crappies. Alternate common names for the species include goldring and silver perch. is named for the fish. The genus name ''Pomoxis ...

yellow perch The yellow perch (''Perca flavescens''), commonly referred to as perch, striped perch, American perch, American river perch or preacher is a freshwater perciform fish native to much of North America. The yellow perch was described in 1814 by Samu ...

bluegill The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and ...

brown bullhead The brown bullhead (''Ameiurus nebulosus'') is a fish of the family Ictaluridae that is widely distributed in North America. It is a species of bullhead catfish and is similar to the black bullhead (''Ameiurus melas'') and yellow bullhead (''Ame ...

largemouth bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus salmoides'') is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae ( sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but ...

rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes called "steelhead trout") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coasta ...

brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...

, and

brook trout The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae. It is native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada, but has been introduced elsewhere ...

. The crappie and perch are particularly sought after by anglers. Crappies over long are common. The largest crappie ever caught at the reservoir weighed well over , an Oregon state record. Perch up to long are also common at Gerber. Other fish found in the reservoir include

tui chub The tui chub (''Siphateles bicolor'') is a cyprinid fish native to western North America. Widespread in many areas, it is an important food source for other fish, including the cutthroat trout. Range The tui chub's range includes the Lahonta ...

, blue chub,

speckled dace The speckled dace (''Rhinichthys osculus''), also known as the spotted dace and the carpita pinta, is a member of the minnow family. It is found in temperate freshwater in North America, from Sonora, Mexico to British Columbia, Canada. Canada is ...

, and shortnose sucker. In addition to fish, the reservoir provide habitat for a wide variety of bird species. Birdwatchers can see

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which in ...

, songbirds, and birds of prey in the Gerber area. Common waterfowl include

western grebe The western grebe (''Aechmophorus occidentalis'') is a species in the grebe family of water birds. Folk names include "dabchick", "swan grebe" and "swan-necked grebe". Western grebe fossils from the Late Pleistocene of southwest North America we ...

red-necked grebe The red-necked grebe (''Podiceps grisegena'') is a migratory aquatic bird found in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. Its wintering habitat is largely restricted to calm waters just beyond the waves around ocean coasts, although ...

common loon The common loon or great northern diver (''Gavia immer'') is a large member of the loon, or diver, family of birds. Breeding adults have a plumage that includes a broad black head and neck with a greenish, purplish, or bluish sheen, blackish o ...

, hooded merganser, common merganser, trumpeter swan,

Canada goose The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is o ...

, snow goose, black tern, American coot, and a number of

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...

species. Other water-dependent birds found at the reservoir include sandhill crane,

great blue heron The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos ...

black-crowned night heron The black-crowned night heron (''Nycticorax nycticorax''), or black-capped night heron, commonly shortened to just night heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, including parts of Europe, Asia, and N ...

, American bittern,

snowy egret The snowy egret (''Egretta thula'') is a small white heron. The genus name comes from Provençal French for the little egret, , which is a diminutive of , 'heron'. The species name ''thula'' is the Araucano term for the black-necked swan, app ...

, American white pelican, American avocet,

long-billed curlew The long-billed curlew (''Numenius americanus'') is a large North American shorebird of the family Scolopacidae. This species was also called "sicklebird" and the "candlestick bird". The species breeds in central and western North America, migrat ...

, willet,

Virginia rail The Virginia rail (''Rallus limicola'') is a small waterbird, of the family Rallidae. These birds remain fairly common despite continuing loss of habitat, but are secretive by nature and more often heard than seen. They are also considered a ga ...

spotted sandpiper The spotted sandpiper (''Actitis macularius'') is a small shorebird. Together with its sister species the common sandpiper (''A. hypoleucos''), it makes up the genus ''Actitis''. They replace each other geographically; stray birds may settle dow ...

, and common snipe.Silvermoon, Jon Massoglia
"Fauna"
''Archaeological Investigations at the Peninsula Site, 35KL87, Gerber Reservoir, South-Central Oregon'', Cultural Resource Series Number 11, Bureau of Land Management, United States Department of Interior, Portland, Oregon, 1994, pp. 8–10.Silvermoon, Jon Massoglia
"Table B-2, Birds of the Gerber Reservoir Area"
''Archaeological Investigations at the Peninsula Site, 35KL87, Gerber Reservoir, South-Central Oregon'', Cultural Resource Series Number 11, Bureau of Land Management, United States Department of Interior, Portland, Oregon, 1994, pp. B-5–B-8. In the forest around the reservoir, there are

black-billed magpie The black-billed magpie (''Pica hudsonia''), also known as the American magpie, is a bird in the corvid family found in the western half of North America. It is black and white, with black areas on the wings and tail showing iridescent hints o ...

common raven The common raven (''Corvus corax'') is a large all-black passerine bird. It is the most widely distributed of all corvids, found across the Northern Hemisphere. It is a raven known by many names at the subspecies level; there are at least e ...

Brewer's blackbird Brewer's blackbird (''Euphagus cyanocephalus'') is a medium-sized New World blackbird. It is named after the ornithologist Thomas Mayo Brewer. Description Adult males have black Feather, plumage with an iridescent purple head and neck and glo ...

northern flicker The northern flicker or common flicker (''Colaptes auratus'') is a medium-sized bird of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker spec ...

s, rock doves, and mourning doves as well as downy woodpecker. Several owl species are found near the reservoir. These include the great horned owl, great grey owl,

barn owl The barn owl (''Tyto alba'') is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds, being found almost everywhere except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalaya ...

, and

screech owl Screech owls are typical owls (Strigidae) belonging to the genus ''Megascops'' with 23 living species. For most of the 20th century, this genus was merged with the Old World scops owls in ''Otus'', but nowadays it is again considered separate ...

. Other bird species common to the area are

Steller's jay Steller's jay (''Cyanocitta stelleri'') is a bird native to western North America and the mountains of Central America, closely related to the blue jay found in eastern North America. It is also known as the long-crested jay, mountain jay, and pin ...

, pinyon jay,

scrub jay The passerine birds of the genus ''Aphelocoma'' include the scrub jays and their relatives. They are New World jays found in Mexico, western Central America and the western United States, with an outlying population in Florida. This genus belong ...

American robin The American robin (''Turdus migratorius'') is a migratory bird of the true thrush genus and Turdidae, the wider thrush family. It is named after the European robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closel ...

, hermit thrush, western bluebird, mountain bluebird,

western meadowlark The western meadowlark (''Sturnella neglecta'') is a medium-sized icterid bird, about in length. It nests on the ground in open grasslands across western and central North America. It feeds mostly on bugs, but will also feed on seeds and berri ...

, horned lark,

Cassin's finch Cassin's finch (''Haemorhous cassinii'') is a bird in the finch family, Fringillidae. This species and the other "American rosefinches" are placed in the genus ''Haemorhous''. Description Measurements: * Length: 6.3 in (16 cm) * Weight: 0.8-1 ...

sagebrush sparrow The sagebrush sparrow (''Artemisiospiza nevadensis'') is a medium-sized sparrow of the western United States and northwestern Mexico. It used to be placed in the genus ''Amphispiza'', but evidence from 2007 and 2009 suggested it be placed in it ...

, lark sparrows cedar waxwing,

brown creeper The brown creeper (''Certhia americana''), also known as the American treecreeper, is a small songbird, the only North American member of the treecreeper family Certhiidae. Description Adults are brown on the upper parts with light spotting, re ...

mountain chickadee The mountain chickadee (''Poecile gambeli'') is a small songbird, a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. Taxonomy The specific name honors naturalist William Gambel. The mountain chickadee was formerly placed in the genus ''Parus'' with ...

dark-eyed junco The dark-eyed junco (''Junco hyemalis'') is a species of junco, a group of small, grayish New World sparrows. This bird is common across much of temperate North America and in summer ranges far into the Arctic. It is a very variable species, much ...

, red-breasted nuthatch,

yellow-rumped warbler The yellow-rumped warbler (''Setophaga coronata'') is a regular North American bird species that can be commonly observed all across the continent. Its extensive distribution range connects both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the U.S. as well ...

red crossbill The red crossbill or common crossbill (''Loxia curvirostra'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. Crossbills have distinctive mandibles, crossed at the tips, which enable them to extract seeds from conifer cones and other ...

, northern oriole,

green-tailed towhee The green-tailed towhee (''Pipilo chlorurus'') is the smallest towhee, but is still one of the larger members of the American sparrow family Passerellidae. Its breeding range covers most of the interior Western United States, with a winter range ...

Lazuli bunting The lazuli bunting (''Passerina amoena'') is a North American songbird named for the gemstone lapis lazuli. Description Measurements: * Length: 5.1-5.9 in (13-15 cm) * Weight: 0.5-0.6 oz (13-18 g) * Wingspan: 8.7 in (22 cm) The male i ...

, plain titmouse,

purple martin The purple martin (''Progne subis'') is a passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae. It is the largest swallow in North America. Despite its name, the purple martin is not truly purple. The dark blackish-blue feathers have an iridescent s ...

cliff swallow The cliff swallow or American cliff swallow (''Petrochelidon pyrrhonota'') is a member of the passerine bird family Hirundinidae, the swallows and martins. The generic name ''Petrochelidon'' is derived from Ancient Greek ''petros'' meaning "roc ...

rock wren The rock wren (''Salpinctes obsoletus'') is a small songbird of the wren family native to western North America, Mexico and Central America. It is the only species in the genus ''Salpinctes''. Description Measurements: * Length: 4.9-5.9 i ...

Hammond's flycatcher Hammond's flycatcher (''Empidonax hammondii'') is a flycatcher in the family Tyrannidae. This small insectivorous bird inhabits the coniferous and mixed forests of western North America. The name of this bird commemorates William Alexander Hammon ...

American dusky flycatcher The American dusky flycatcher (''Empidonax oberholseri''), or simply dusky flycatcher, is a small insectivorous passerine of the tyrant flycatcher family. The dusky flycatcher is one of many species in the genus ''Empidonax''. These species are ...

western kingbird The western kingbird (''Tyrannus verticalis'') is a large tyrant flycatcher found throughout western environments of North America, as far south as Mexico. Description Adults are a combination of both gray and yellow plumage, along with crimson f ...

, brown-headed cowbird,

pine siskin The pine siskin (''Spinus pinus'') is a North American bird in the finch family. It is a migratory bird with an extremely sporadic winter range. Taxonomy The pine siskin was formally described in 1810 by the American ornithologist Alexander ...

sage thrasher The sage thrasher (''Oreoscoptes montanus'') is a medium-sized passerine bird from the family Mimidae, which also includes mockingbirds, tremblers, and New World catbirds. It is the only member of the genus ''Oreoscoptes''. This seems less close ...

, and two

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics aro ...

species. The reservoir also attracts birds of prey including

prairie falcon The prairie falcon (''Falco mexicanus'') is a medium-large sized falcon of western North America. It is about the size of a peregrine falcon or a crow, with an average length of 40 cm (16 in), wingspan of approximately 1 meter (40&nb ...

northern goshawk The northern goshawk (; ''Accipiter gentilis'') is a species of medium-large bird of prey, raptor in the Family (biology), family Accipitridae, a family which also includes other extant diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harrier (bird) ...

, Cooper's hawk, red-tailed hawk,

turkey vulture The turkey vulture (''Cathartes aura'') is the most widespread of the New World vultures. One of three species in the genus ''Cathartes'' of the family Cathartidae, the turkey vulture ranges from southern Canada to the southernmost tip of South ...

, osprey,

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of p ...

, and

bald eagles The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

. The mixed conifer forest, juniper woodlands, and shrub-steppe zones around the reservoir are home to numerous mammals, both large and small. It is estimated that approximately 4,900 mule deer winter in the Gerber Reservoir area. In addition to mule deer, the larger mammals include pronghorn, Roosevelt elk,

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...

American black bear The American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), also called simply a black bear or sometimes a baribal, is a medium-sized bear endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. American black bear ...

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

, and

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...

. Some of the small mammals found in the Gerber area are badger, raccoon,

porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethizont ...

striped skunk The striped skunk (''Mephitis mephitis'') is a skunk of the genus '' Mephitis'' that occurs across much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. It is currently listed as least concern by the IUCN on ac ...

, western spotted skunk,

marten A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus ''Martes'' within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on t ...

mink Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera ''Neogale'' and '' Mustela'' and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": the A ...

, long-tailed weasel,

black-tailed jackrabbit The black-tailed jackrabbit (''Lepus californicus''), also known as the American desert hare, is a common hare of the western United States and Mexico, where it is found at elevations from sea level up to . Reaching a length around , and a ...

mountain cottontail The mountain cottontail or Nuttall's cottontail (''Sylvilagus nuttallii'') is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It is found in Canada and the United States. Description The mountain cottontail is a small rabbit but its size is rel ...

, and pika. Rodents common to the area include

western gray squirrel The western gray squirrel (''Sciurus griseus'') is a tree squirrel found along the western coast of the United States and Mexico. In some places, this species has also been known as the silver-gray squirrel, the California gray squirrel, the Or ...

golden-mantled ground squirrel The golden-mantled ground squirrel (''Callospermophilus lateralis'') is a ground squirrel native to western North America. It is distributed in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and Alberta, and through much of the western United States. ...

least chipmunk The least chipmunk (''Neotamias minimus'') is the smallest species of chipmunk and the most widespread in North America. Description It is the smallest species of chipmunk, measuring about in total length with a weight of . The body is gray to ...

western harvest mouse The western harvest mouse (''Reithrodontomys megalotis'') is a small neotomine mouse native to most of the western United States. Many authorities consider the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse to be a subspecies, but the two are now usually ...

Great Basin pocket mouse The Great Basin pocket mouse (''Perognathus parvus'') is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae.Williams, Daniel F.; Genoways, Hugh H.; Braun, Janet K. 1993. Taxonomy. In: Genoways, Hugh H.; Brown, James H. (eds.) ''Biology of the Heterom ...

, and

northern grasshopper mouse The northern grasshopper mouse (''Onychomys leucogaster'') is a North American carnivorous rodent of the family Cricetidae. It ranges over much of the western part of the continent, from southern Saskatchewan and central Washington to Tamaulipas ...

. There are also five

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...

species found in the Gerber area.Silvermoon, Jon Massoglia
"Table B-4, Mammals of the Gerber Reservoir Area"
''Archaeological Investigations at the Peninsula Site, 35KL87, Gerber Reservoir, South-Central Oregon'', Cultural Resource Series Number 11, Bureau of Land Management, United States Department of Interior, Portland, Oregon, 1994, pp. B-10–B-11. Reptiles found in the Gerber area include both snakes and lizards. The snakes species are common garter snake,

western terrestrial garter snake The western terrestrial garter snake (''Thamnophis elegans'') is a western North American species of colubrid snake. At least five subspecies are currently recognized. Description Most western terrestrial garter snakes have a yellow, light orang ...

striped whipsnake The striped whipsnake (''Masticophis taeniatus'') is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. It is closely related to the California whipsnake ('' Masticophis lateralis''). The striped whipsnake is native to the western United St ...

, gopher snake,

rubber boa The rubber boa (''Charina bottae'') is a species of snake in the family Boidae and is native to North America. It is sometimes known as the coastal rubber boa or the northern rubber boa and is not to be confused with the southern rubber boa (''C ...

, and

western rattlesnake Western rattlesnake may refer to: * ''Crotalus oreganus'', a venomous pitviper species found in North America in the western United States, parts of British Columbia and northwestern Mexico * ''Crotalus viridis ''Crotalus viridis'' (Common name ...

. Lizards include

western fence lizard The western fence lizard (''Sceloporus occidentalis'') is a common lizard of Arizona, New Mexico, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington (state), Washington, Northern Mexico, and the surrounding area. As the ventral abdomen of an ad ...

sagebrush lizard The sagebrush lizard or sagebrush swift (''Sceloporus graciosus'') is a common species of phrynosomatid lizard found at mid to high altitudes in the western United States of America. It belongs to the genus ''Sceloporus'' (spiny lizards) in ...

short-horned lizard The greater short-horned lizard (''Phrynosoma hernandesi''), also commonly known as the mountain short-horned lizard, is a species of lizard endemic to western North America. Like other horned lizards, it is often called a "horned toad" or "hor ...

, and

western skink The western skink ''(Plestiodon skiltonianus)'' is a species of small, smooth- scaled lizard with relatively small limbs. It measures about 100 to 210 mm (about 4 to 8.25 inches) in total length (body + tail). It is one of seven species of l ...

. There are four amphibians that live in or around Gerber Reservoir: the

Pacific tree frog The Pacific tree frog (''Pseudacris regilla''), also known as the Pacific chorus frog, has a range spanning the Pacific Northwest, from Northern California, Oregon, and Washington to British Columbia in Canada and extreme southern Alaska. They l ...

, Oregon spotted frog, western toad, and the

long-toed salamander The long-toed salamander (''Ambystoma macrodactylum'') is a mole salamander in the family Ambystomatidae. This species, typically long when mature, is characterized by its mottled black, brown, and yellow pigmentation, and its long outer fourth ...

Recreation

The Bureau of Land Management actively manages the area around Gerber Reservoir. Over the years, two campgrounds have been developed at the reservoir. Together, they provide a wide range of facilities including potable water,

restrooms A public toilet, restroom, public bathroom or washroom is a room or small building with toilets (or urinals) and sinks for use by the general public. The facilities are available to customers, travelers, employees of a business, school pupils ...

, campsites,

picnic table A picnic table (or picnic bench) is a table with benches (often attached), designed for working with and for outdoor dining. The term is often specifically associated with rectangular tables having an A-frame structure. Such tables may be referr ...

s, cooking grills,

boat ramp A slipway, also known as boat ramp or launch or boat deployer, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats, and for launching and retrieving small ...

s, floating docks, and fish cleaning stations. Garbage collection and a

recreational vehicle A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans (also known as travel trailers and camper ...

dump station are also provided. Fees are charged for camping and day use at both campgrounds. There are also some primitive campsites near the reservoir. There is no fee for using the undeveloped camp sites."Gerber Recreation Area"
, Lakeview District, Bureau of Land Management, United States Department of Interior, Lakeview, Oregon, 10 August 2014."BLM Gerber Reservoir Campground"
''www.campingroadtrip.com'', Camping Road Trip LLC, New York City, New York, 10 August 2014. There are two campgrounds at Gerber Reservoir with a total of 50 developed campsites. Both of the campgrounds are located along the west shore of the reservoir. They are open year around. However, the campground facilities are only maintained during the summer, from mid-May to mid-September. Gerber North campground has 25 campsites, as does Gerber South campground. During the summer, the reservoir is a popular place for fishing,

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

, and

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

. There are also trails near the lake for

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

and

mountain biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...

. The ''Gerber Watchable Wildlife Tour'' has nine wildlife viewing stations near the reservoir. In addition, Gerber Reservoir is a stop on the ''Klamath Basin Birding Trail''. There are a number of

archeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and ...

s near the reservoir. It is against

Federal law Federal law is the body of law created by the federal government of a country. A federal government is formed when a group of political units, such as states or provinces join in a federation, delegating their individual sovereignty and many po ...

to disturb or remove artifacts from these sites. Visitors who happen upon an archeological sites are asked to contact the Bureau of Land Management office in Klamath Falls.

Location

Gerber Reservoir is located in Klamath County, Oregon. It is east of Klamath Falls and west of

Lakeview, Oregon Lakeview is a town in Lake County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,418 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lake County. The city bills itself as the "Tallest Town in Oregon" because of its elevation, above sea level. Lak ...

, off of Oregon Route 140. To get to the Gerber Reservoir campgrounds from Klamath Falls, take Route 140 east to Dairy, Oregon. At Dairy, turn south onto Oregon Route 70 and travel to

Bonanza, Oregon Bonanza is a town in Klamath County, Oregon, Klamath County, Oregon, United States, near Klamath Falls, Oregon, Klamath Falls. The population was 415 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Geography Bonanza is at an elevation of in south ...

. From there, continue on ''East Langell Valley Road'' for ; then turn left onto ''Gerber Road''. Follow Gerber Road for to the Gerber recreation area.

References

External links

*
Lakeview Bureau of Land Management District
{{authority control Reservoirs in Oregon Bureau of Land Management areas in Oregon Lakes of Klamath County, Oregon 1925 establishments in Oregon

History

Watershed

Environment

Ecology

Recreation

Location

See also

References

External links