Rock Creek Lake is an

alpine lake Alpine lakes are classified as lakes at high altitudes in mountainous zones, usually near or above the tree line, with extended periods of ice cover. These lakes are commonly formed from glacial activity (either current or in the past) but can al ...

along the Elkhorn Crest trail in the southern end of the

Elkhorn Mountains The Elkhorn Mountains are a mountain range in southwestern Montana, part of the Rocky Mountains and are roughly 300,000 acres (1200 km²) in size. It is an inactive volcanic mountain range with the highest point being Crow Peak at , right n ...

in Baker County, eastern

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 ...

. It is located on the northern slope of

Rock Creek Butte Rock Creek Butte is a summit in Baker County, Oregon, Baker County, Oregon, in the United States. It is located in the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, about northeast of Sumpter, Oregon, Sumpter. Rock Creek Butte is the highest point of the ...

, the highest point in the Elkhorn Mountains range. While the lake is located on a glacial cirque, it is part of the West Fork Rock Creek drainage basin. Other alpine lakes are found a short distance from Rock Creek Lake. Sharing a neighboring

cirque A (; from the Latin word ') is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from Scottish Gaelic , meaning a pot or cauldron) and (; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform ...

is Bucket Lake, to the south over the southern skirt of Rock Creek Butte is Twin Lakes and to the east is Goodrich Lake over the Elkhorn Crest trail. Rock Creek Lake empties into a second smaller lake which later produces Rock Creek and small waterfalls along its course to join the North Fork Rock Creek.

Geology

Rock Creek Lake lays within the Rock Creek Glacier, which originated from a cirques at the base of the butte. The glacier meltwater flowed northwest in the direction of the cirque and then veered northeast producing a confluence with the North Fork of Rock Creek. A second flow came from Willow Creek Glacier that intersected the Rock Creek Glacier. The northern slope of the cirque has been mined for

chrysotile Chrysotile or white asbestos is the most commonly encountered form of asbestos, accounting for approximately 95% of the asbestos in the United StatesOccupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor (2007)29 C.F.R.&nbs ...

s and

asbestos Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...

Ecology

The major

biome A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...

s are the lake itself, which is an aquatic biome, and the surrounding region, which is classified as

temperate coniferous forest Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Temperate coniferous forests are found predominantly in areas with warm summers and cool winters, and vary in their kinds of plant life. In some, needlel ...

. It is nested within the Blue Mountains

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...

, the largest in the state of Oregon. The Elkhorn Crest trail is east of the lake. The lake has several species of fish, including

Bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

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 ...

Crappie Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers. Etymology The genus name ''Pomoxis'' ...

, and

Sauger The sauger (''Sander canadensis'') is a freshwater perciform fish of the family Percidae that resembles its close relative, the walleye. The species is a member of the largest vertebrate order, the Perciformes.Jaeger, Matthew. 2004. Montana's Fi ...

. Opposite of Rock Creek Lake is Pine Creek Reservoir which has a Uranium occurrence, part of the Rock Creek Mining District.

Mountain goats

The hills that surround Rock Creek lake are a frequented location by

mountain goat The mountain goat (''Oreamnos americanus''), also known as the Rocky Mountain goat, is a hoofed mammal endemic to mountainous areas of western North America. A subalpine to alpine species, it is a sure-footed climber commonly seen on cliffs and ...

s. A census in 2019 yielded 100 goats in the Twin Lakes basin, approximately a third of the goats in the Elkhorn mountain range. The population was established after 21 goats were released between 1983 and 1986 along the Pine Creek drainage, a short distance north of Rock Creek Lakes. These individuals had been purposefully trapped in Idaho,

Olympic National Park Olympic National Park is a United States national park located in the State of Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula. The park has four regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west-side temperate rainforest, and the forests of the drier ...

in Washington and

Misty Fjords National Monument Misty Fjords National Monument (or Misty Fiords National Monument) is a national monument and wilderness area administered by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Tongass National Forest. Misty Fiords is about east of Ketchikan, Alaska, along ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

for transplant in the Elkhorn Mountains.Big Game Statistics: Rocky Mountain Goats

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for programs protecting Oregon fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. The agency operates hatcheries, issues hunting and ...

. Accessed 24 August 2022

References

External links

*{{Commons category-inline Lakes of Baker County, Oregon Landforms of Baker County, Oregon Elkhorn Mountains, Oregon

Geology

Ecology

Mountain goats

See also

References

External links