Goose Lake Valley
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The Goose Lake Valley is located in south-central
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 ...
and northeastern
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It is a high valley at the northwestern corner of North America's
Great Basin The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic basin, endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja California ...
. Much of the valley floor is covered by Goose Lake, a large
endorheic An endorheic basin (; also spelled endoreic basin or endorreic basin) is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water, such as rivers or oceans, but drainage converges instead into lakes ...
lake that straddles the Oregon–California border. Native Americans inhabited the Goose Lake Valley for thousands of years before explorers arrived in the 19th century. The pioneer wagon route known as the
Applegate Trail The Applegate Trail was an emigrant trail through the present-day U.S. states of Idaho, Nevada, California, and Oregon used in the mid-19th century by emigrants on the American frontier. It was originally intended as a less dangerous alternative t ...
crossed the Goose Lake Valley on its way to southern Oregon. At the south end of Goose Lake, the Lassen Cutoff separated from the Applegate Trail and headed south toward the
Sacramento Valley , photo =Sacramento Riverfront.jpg , photo_caption= Sacramento , map_image=Map california central valley.jpg , map_caption= The Central Valley of California , location = California, United States , coordinates = , boundaries = Sierra Nevada (ea ...
. Today,
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 ...
, is the largest settlement in the valley. Livestock ranching and lumber mills are the valley's main commercial activity. The Goose Lake Valley offers a number of recreational opportunities including
hang-gliding Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covered ...
,
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
birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, b ...
.


Geography

The Goose Lake Valley is located in Lake County in south-central Oregon and
Modoc County Modoc County () is a county in the far northeast corner of the U.S. state of California. Its population is 8,700 as of the 2020 census, down from 9,686 from the 2010 census. This makes it California's third-least populous county. The county seat ...
in northeastern California. It is approximately long and wide."Goose Lake Valley Groundwater Basin, Lower Goose Lake Valley Subbasin"
(PDF), ''Northeastern Counties Ground Water Investigation Bulletin 118'', California Department of Water Resources, 27 February 2004.
The largest settlement in the Goose Lake Valley is Lakeview. There are two main highways that pass through the valley, and both pass through Lakeview.
U.S. Route 395 U.S. Route 395 (US 395) is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canada–US border near Laurier, where the road ...
runs north–south through the valley while
Oregon Route 140 Oregon Route 140 (OR 140) is a state highway in southern Oregon, United States. It is the longest state highway in Oregon, running from the community of White City, Oregon (just north of Medford), through Klamath Falls and on to Lakeview. It ...
crosses the valley east–west. Klamath Falls, Oregon, is west of Lakeview on Route 140.
Winnemucca, Nevada Winnemucca () is the only incorporated city in, and is the county seat of, Humboldt County, Nevada, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 8,431, up 14.0 percent from the 2010 census figure of 7,396. Intersta ...
, is on Route 140, east of Lakeview.
Bend, Oregon Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is the principal city of the Bend Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, with a population of 99,178 at the time of the 2020 U.S ...
, is northwest of Lakeview via Route 395, Oregon Route 31, and
U.S. Route 97 U.S. Route 97 (US 97) is a major north–south route of the United States Numbered Highway System in the Pacific Northwest region. It runs for approximately through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, primarily serving in ...
.
Burns, Oregon Burns is a city in and the county seat of Harney County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. According to the 2010 census, the population was 2,806. Burns and the nearby city of Hines are home to about 60 percent of the people in the sparsely pop ...
, is northeast of Lakeview on Route 395 while
Alturas, California Alturas (Spanish for "Heights"; Achumawi: ''Kasalektawi'') is a city and the county seat of Modoc County, California. Located in the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California, the city had a population of 2,715 at the 2020 census. Altur ...
, is south of Lakeview on the same highway. Three sides of the valley are bordered by mountains that rise several thousand feet above the valley floor. On the east side, the
Warner Mountains The Warner Mountains are an -long mountain range running north–south through northeastern California and extending into southern Oregon in the United States. The range lies within the northwestern corner of the Basin and Range Province, exte ...
run the entire length of the valley, while the Fremont Mountains border the valley's north and west sides. At the northern end of the valley between the two mountain ranges is a low pass connecting the Goose Lake Valley with the Crooked Creek Valley, a small basin-and-range valley that leads to the south shore of
Abert Lake Lake Abert (also known as Abert Lake) is a large, shallow, alkali lake in Lake County, Oregon, United States. It is approximately long and wide at its widest point. It is located northeast of the small, unincorporated community of Valley Fall ...
. South and southwest of the Goose Lake Valley is the
Modoc Plateau __NOTOC__ The Modoc Plateau lies in the northeast corner of California as well as parts of Oregon and Nevada. Nearly of the Modoc National Forest are on the plateau between the Medicine Lake Highlands in the west and the Warner Mountains in the ...
. Crane Mountain Oregon, in the Warner Mountains, is the highest point overlooking the valley. The summit of Crane Mountain is above sea level.United States Geological Survey topographic map, ACME mapper, ''www.acme.com'', 29 March 2009.Biddle, H. J.
"Note of the Surface Geology of Southern Oregon"
''The American Journal of Science'', Tuttle, Morehouse and Taylor, New Haven, Connecticut, 1888, pp. 478–480.
The valley floor averages to about above sea level. It is dominated by Goose Lake, a large mildly-alkali lake. The surface elevation of the lake is above sea level at normal water levels. The lake normally has no outlet; however, when the water level is extremely high, the south end of the lake can overflow into the
Pit River The Pit River is a major river draining from northeastern California into the state's Central Valley. The Pit, the Klamath and the Columbia are the only three rivers in the U.S. that cross the Cascade Range. The longest tributary of the Sacr ...
. During severe and extended drought periods, the lake has gone completely dry."Goose Lake"
''www.pitrivealliance.net'', Pit River Watershed Alliance, Alturas, California, 27 December 2009.
There are a number of streams that flow into the valley from the Fremont and Warner Mountains. The Fremont Mountains provide most of the fresh water delivered to Goose Lake. These northern and western slopes of the Goose Lake basin are drained by Thomas Creek, Muddy Creek, Cottonwood Creek, and Drews Creek. All flow into Goose Lake. At the southern end of the basin, Willow Creek and Lassen Creek flow from the Warner Mountains into Goose Lake.
, ''Oregon: A Geologic History'', Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, Portland, Oregon, 23 December 2009.
"Goose Lake Redband Trout"
(PDF), ''Oregon Native Fish Status Report'' (Vol. II), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Salem, Oregon, 2005.


Geology

The area around the Goose Lake Valley was formed by faulted blocking. There are numerous bounding faults on the west and east side of the valley. The valley itself is an
alluvial Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluv ...
basin. Its underlying strata were formed by
Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...
lava flows covered by
Holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...
sedimentary Sedimentary rocks are types of rock (geology), rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic matter, organic particles at Earth#Surface, Earth's surface, followed by cementation (geology), cementation. Sedimentati ...
deposits. It is bounded by Pliocene and
Tertiary Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago. The period began with the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
that form the Fremont and Warner Mountains, and on the south and southwest by Pliocene basalt of the Modoc Plateau. In the Goose Lake area, volcanic rock from the Pliocene is up to thick. This is topped with additional layers of Pleistocene basalt up to thick. The upper levels of strata are sedimentary deposits from the Holocene, which are thick in some areas. The upper alluvial layers consist of partially stratified sand and silt mixed with layers of gravel. These deposits are permeable and provide the valley with groundwater.
Calcium bicarbonate Calcium bicarbonate, also called calcium hydrogencarbonate, has the chemical formula Ca(HCO3)2. The term does not refer to a known solid compound; it exists only in aqueous solution containing calcium (Ca2+), bicarbonate (), and carbonate () ions ...
occurs in the groundwater throughout the basin. The entire valley was once covered by a single vast
pluvial In geology and climatology, a pluvial is either a modern climate characterized by relatively high precipitation or an interval of time of variable length, decades to thousands of years, during which a climate is characterized by relatively high ...
lake that may have been deep during the Pleistocene epoch. However, during the Holocene epoch, water levels gradually receded, leaving a large endorheic lake. Today, the lake is known as Goose Lake and is only deep at its deepest point.


Climate

The climate in the Goose Lake Valley is typical of the high desert country of south-central Oregon. It has warm summers and very cold winters. The valley gets an average of of rain per year. It also gets an average of of snow. The snowpack from the surrounding mountains feeds the streams that drain into the valley."Climate"
''www.lakecountyor.org'', Lake County Government, Lakeview, Oregon, 17 August 2009.
''Weatherbase''
''www.weatherbase.com'', Canty and Associates, Great Falls, Virginia, 3 January 2010.
Spring is short, limiting the growing season to approximately 100 days. In the summer, days are generally warm and dry, but nights can be cool. High temperatures during the summer normally range from . Fall days tend to be clear and crisp with cold nights. Winters in the valley are quite cold, with daily temperatures averaging below freezing from December through February. Daily low temperatures can reach during the winter months.
, Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Lakeview, Oregon, 3 January 2010.


Ecology

The Goose Lake Valley provides a number of unique animal habitats. These include lakes,
marshes A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...
,
riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks ar ...
areas,
grasslands A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natural ...
, sage steppes,
dry forests The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive ...
, and mountain
rimrock Rimrock is the sheer rock wall at the upper edge of a plateau, canyon, or geological uplift. It may refer to either the rock formation or to the rock itself. Rimrock may be composed of almost any stone—basalt, gneiss, granite, sandstone, et ...
s. They range in elevation from above sea level along the shore of Goose Lake to over at the summit of Crane Mountain. Marsh grasses are common along the lake shore. Riparian habitats support stands of
quaking aspen ''Populus tremuloides'' is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, one of several species referred to by the common name aspen. It is commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, mountain or golden aspen, tr ...
,
alder Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...
, and
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 ...
.
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
bunchgrass Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennial ...
, and
fescue ''Festuca'' (fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae (subfamily Pooideae). They are evergreen or herbaceous perennial tufted grasses with a height range of and a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on every ...
are typical ground cover in the steppe and grassland areas.
Western juniper ''Juniperus occidentalis'', known as the western juniper, is a shrub or tree native to the Western United States, growing in mountains at altitudes of and rarely down to . It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because it is a widesp ...
,
ponderosa pine ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the ...
,
lodgepole pine ''Pinus contorta'', with the common names lodgepole pine and shore pine, and also known as twisted pine, and contorta pine, is a common tree in western North America. It is common near the ocean shore and in dry montane forests to the subalpine, ...
, and
white fir ''Abies concolor'', the white fir, is a coniferous tree in the pine family Pinaceae. This tree is native to the mountains of western North America, including the Cascade Range and southern Rocky Mountains, and into the isolated mountain range ...
dominate the dry forest areas. Wildflowers found in the Goose Lake Valley area include common yarrow, camas, larkspur, elephant-head flower,
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 ...
, and crane orchids."Basin and Range Birding Trail"
(PDF), Southern Oregon Basin and Range Site Management Agencies, Lakeview District, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service Rivers and Trails Program, Lakeview, Oregon, 2010.
The valley's wildlife includes common high desert
mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...
species. These include
pronghorn The pronghorn (, ) (''Antilocapra americana'') is a species of artiodactyl (even-toed, hoofed) mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is known colloquially in North America as the American a ...
,
elk The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The common ...
,
mule deer The mule deer (''Odocoileus hemionus'') is a deer indigenous to western North America; it is named for its ears, which are large like those of the mule. Two subspecies of mule deer are grouped into the black-tailed deer. Unlike the related whit ...
,
black bear Black bear or Blackbear may refer to: Animals * American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species * Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species Music * Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations group ...
,
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 ...
,
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
coyotes 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 ...
. Smaller mammals include
jackrabbits Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The gen ...
,
ground squirrel Ground squirrels are members of the squirrel family of rodents (Sciuridae), which generally live on or in the ground, rather than trees. The term is most often used for the medium-sized ground squirrels, as the larger ones are more commonly known ...
s, and
chipmunks Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of the family Sciuridae. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Chipmunks may be classified either as ...
."Fish and Wildlife"
Fremont-Winema National Forest, United States Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Lakeview, Oregon, 19 July 2006.
The Goose Lake Valley is on the western flyway from
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
to bird breeding grounds in the
Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...
. During the spring,
Canada geese 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 geese The snow goose (''Anser caerulescens'') is a species of goose native to North America. Both white and dark morphs exist, the latter often known as blue goose. Its name derives from the typically white plumage. The species was previously placed ...
, Ross' geese, and
whistling swan The tundra swan (''Cygnus columbianus'') is a small swan of the Holarctic. The two taxa within it are usually regarded as conspecific, but are also sometimes split into two species: Bewick's swan (''Cygnus bewickii'') of the Palaearctic and the w ...
s stops in the valley to feed and rest before continuing north. Numerous shorebirds also migrate through the valley. These include black-necked stilts,
American avocet The American avocet (''Recurvirostra americana'') is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae, that is found in North America. It spends much of its time foraging in shallow water or on mud flats, often sweeping its bill ...
s,
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 do ...
s,
Wilson's phalarope Wilson's phalarope (''Phalaropus tricolor'') is a small wader. This bird, the largest of the phalaropes, breeds in the prairies of North America in western Canada and the western United States. It is migratory, wintering in inland salt lakes ...
s,
red-necked phalarope The red-necked phalarope (''Phalaropus lobatus''), also known as the northern phalarope and hyperborean phalarope, is a small wader. This phalarope breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. It is migratory, and, unusually for a ...
s,
black tern The black tern (''Chlidonias niger'') is a small tern generally found in or near inland water in Europe, Western Asia and North America. As its name suggests, it has predominantly dark plumage. In some lights it can appear blue in the breeding se ...
s,
eared grebe The black-necked grebe or eared grebe (''Podiceps nigricollis'') is a member of the grebe family of water birds. It was described in 1831 by Christian Ludwig Brehm. There are currently three accepted subspecies, including the nominate subspeci ...
s,
horned grebe The horned grebe or Slavonian grebe (''Podiceps auritus'') is a relatively small waterbird in the family Podicipedidae. There are two known subspecies: ''P. a. auritus'', which breeds in the Palearctic, and ''P. a. cornutus'', which breeds in ...
s, and
cinnamon teal The cinnamon teal (''Spatula cyanoptera'') is a species of duck found in western North and South America. It is a small dabbling duck, with bright reddish plumage on the male and duller brown plumage on the female. It lives in marshes and ponds, ...
. In the fall, these birds pass through the valley on their way south. In addition, a number of bird species nest in the areas around Goose Lake. Shorebirds such as American avocets,
willet The willet (''Tringa semipalmata'') is a large shorebird in the family Scolopacidae. It is a relatively large and robust sandpiper, and is the largest of the species called "shanks" in the genus ''Tringa''. Its closest relative is the lesser yel ...
s,
killdeer The killdeer (''Charadrius vociferus'') is a large plover found in the Americas. It was described and given its current scientific name in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. Three subspecies are described. Th ...
,
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 ...
, and
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, migr ...
nest near the lake. The wetlands north of the lake provide breeding areas for Canada geese and
sandhill crane The sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis'') is a species of large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird refers to habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills on t ...
s as well as
mallard The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...
and other duck species. The north shore wetlands are also an important breeding area for
Clark's grebe Clark's grebe (''Aechmophorus clarkii'') is a North American waterbird species in the grebe family. Until the 1980s, it was thought to be a pale Polymorphism (biology), morph of the western grebe, which it resembles in size, range, and behavior. ...
s,
white-faced ibis The white-faced ibis (''Plegadis chihi'') is a wading bird in the ibis family, Threskiornithidae. This species breeds colonially in marshes, usually nesting in bushes or low trees. Its breeding range extends from the western United States south ...
, and
great egret The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and ...
.
Tundra swan The tundra swan (''Cygnus columbianus'') is a small swan of the Holarctic. The two taxa within it are usually regarded as conspecific, but are also sometimes split into two species: Bewick's swan (''Cygnus bewickii'') of the Palaearctic and th ...
s and American white pelicans use the area as well. The lake supported a winter populations of over 10,000 Canada geese.
Barrow's goldeneye Barrow's goldeneye (''Bucephala islandica'') is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus '' Bucephala'', the goldeneyes. This bird was named after Sir John Barrow. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek ''boukephalos'', "bullheaded", from ''bou ...
and
common goldeneye The common goldeneye or simply goldeneye (''Bucephala clangula'') is a medium-sized sea duck of the genus ''Bucephala'', the goldeneyes. Its closest relative is the similar Barrow's goldeneye. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek ' ...
also winter in the area.Most, Stephen
"Putting Nature to Work: Geese over Lakeview"
''The Oregon History Project'', Oregon Historical Society, Portland, Oregon, 2003.
Haig, Susan
"Key shorebird areas of the Intermountain West: Goose Lake"
''Intermountain West Regional Shorebird Plan'', United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Department of Interior, Washington, D.C., 13 December 2009, p. 36.
Most of the original marsh land around Goose Lake is now private property used for agriculture. This affects the lake environment. Cattle grazing near the edge of the lake has damaged the dry alkali crust, creating muddy areas around the freshwater streams that flow into the lake. During periods of drought, these muddy areas can almost encircle the lake, destroying islands that birds normally use as breeding habitat. Ranch hay product also affects the bird population. During the breeding season, hay harvesting can damage breeding habitat, destroy nests, and kill young chicks. The last large
bulrush Bulrush is a vernacular name for several large wetland grass-like plants *Sedge family (Cyperaceae): **''Cyperus'' **''Scirpus'' **'' Blysmus'' **''Bolboschoenus'' **''Scirpoides'' **''Isolepis'' **''Schoenoplectus'' **''Trichophorum'' *Typhacea ...
marsh in the Goose Lake Valley is just north of the lake. To preserve the area,
United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...
has been trying to purchase this property. In the canyon, riparian and rimrock areas around the valley, there are
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 ...
s,
finch The true finches are small to medium-sized passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. Finches have stout conical bills adapted for eating seeds and nuts and often have colourful plumage. They occupy a great range of habitats where they are usua ...
es,
Townsend's solitaire Townsend's solitaire (''Myadestes townsendi'') is a medium-sized thrush, the only solitaire native to America north of Mexico. Range and habitat This solitaire ranges from southern Alaska, British Columbia and Alberta to northern Zacatecas in Me ...
s,
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 ...
, warbling vireo,
black-chinned hummingbird The black-chinned hummingbird (''Archilochus alexandri'') is a small hummingbird occupying a broad range of habitats. It is migratory, spending winter as far south as Mexico. Taxonomy A hybrid between this species and Anna's hummingbird was ca ...
s,
black-headed grosbeak The black-headed grosbeak (''Pheucticus melanocephalus'') is a medium-sized, seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is sometimes considered conspecific with the rose-breasted grosbeak (''P. ludovicianus'') with which it hybridizes on ...
s, Steller's jays, yellow-rumped warblers, Wilson's warblers, red-naped sapsuckers, MacGillivray's warblers, mountain bluebirds, Lewis's woodpeckers, and saw-whet owls. In the cottonwood and willow habitats of the open valley, there are Bullock's orioles, tree swallows, American goldfinch, and northern flicker as well as bluebirds, warblers, vireos, and sapsucker. There are also Caspian terns, forster's terns, marbled godwit, and spotted sandpipers in the fall. California quail are common year around throughout the valley. The valley's larger birds include Cooper's hawks and bald eagles. While peregrine falcons are not common, they have been sighted in the valley. Several varieties of trout inhabit streams in the Goose Lake Valley watershed. These species include rainbow trout, brook trout, and the threatened bull trout. In addition, Great Basin redband trout, Goose Lake redband trout are found only in Goose Lake and its tributary. There are thirteen Oregon streams and six California streams with Great Basin redband trout populations. Because the lake can dry up during periods of drought, the stream populations are extremely important to the species survival. In the stream environment, the redbands normally reach in length during their five-year life span. However, the redbands that live in Goose Lake can grow to . The State of California has listed the Goose Lake redband trout as one of the state's eleven Heritage Trout species.


History

Native Americans used the Goose Lake Valley for thousands of years before the first Europeans people arrived. The Klamath Indians called the valley's large lake ''Newapkshi''. Today, the lake is known as Goose Lake.McArthur, Lewis A. and Lewis L. McArthur, "Goose Lake", ''Oregon Geographic Names'' (Seventh Edition), Oregon Historical Society Press, Portland, Oregon, 2003, p. 413.Bach, Melva M.
"Snake Indians and Early Explorers"
(PDF), ''History of the Fremont National Forest'', Fremont National Forest, United States Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Lakeview, Oregon, 1981, pp. 12–13.
It is not clear who was the first European explorer to enter the Goose Lake Valley. A map of the Oregon Country prepared by United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers in 1832 shows Pit Lake with a hot springs north of the lake. Given the lake's location on the map, it is clearly Goose Lake, and the hot springs are Hunter's Hot Springs (Oregon), Hunter's Hot Springs. The first explorer to record his travel through the valley was John Work (fur trader), John Work, who led a Hudson's Bay Company trapping expedition in 1832. In a journal entry dated 21 October 1832, Work referred to the valley's large lake as Pit Lake. Work's journal indicates a familiarity with the area, so his 1832 expedition may not have been his first visit to the valley. The Applegate Trail wagon route, opened by Jesse and Lindsey Applegate in 1846, crossed the southern end of the Goose Lake Valley. Pioneers traveling on the Applegate Trail, descended into the valley from the Warner Mountains through Fandango Pass, arriving at the valley floor near the mouth of Davis Creek. From there, they headed south along the east shore of Goose Lake. At the south end of the lake, the trail forked. The Applegate Trail rounded the south end of the lake and continued west toward the Klamath country of southern Oregon. The other fork, known as the Lassen Cutoff, headed south across Devil's Garden and then followed the Pit River to the Sacramento Valley. In 1849, Captain William Horace Warner, an Army United States Army Corps of Engineers, topographical engineer camped in the Goose Lake Valley before taking a small survey part over the Warner Mountains into the Warner Valley. On 26 September 1849, Warner was ambushed and killed by Indians on his way back to the Goose Lake Valley camp. A number of geographical features in south-central Oregon now bear his name.Bach, Melva M.
"Other Expeditions, Roads, and Forts"
(PDF), ''History of the Fremont National Forest'', Fremont National Forest, United States Forest Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Lakeview, Oregon, 1981, pp. 12–13.
McArthur, Lewis A. and Lewis L. McArthur, "Warner Valley", ''Oregon Geographic Names'' (Seventh Edition), Oregon Historical Society Press, Portland, Oregon, 2003, pp. 1010–1011. In 1864, Lieutenant Colonel C. S. Drew of the 1st Oregon Cavalry passed through the valley while on a long-range reconnaissance patrol. Several geographic features along his route now bear his name, including Drew Creek, Drews Gap, Drews Valley, and Drews Reservoir. Drews Creek flows into the Goose Lake Valley from the west. In 1865, the United States Congress authorized the construction of the Stone Bridge and the Oregon Central Military Wagon Road, Oregon Central Military Wagon Road from Eugene, Oregon, to Fort Boise in Idaho. Congress allowed the construction company to claim three sections of land for every mile of road built. As a result, road surveyors laid out a route designed to pass through as much well watered land as possible. The route of the military road came west over Drews Gap and followed Drews Creek into the Goose Lake Valley. It passed through the valley north of Goose Lake before crossing the Warner Mountains to the east. In reality, the Oregon Central Military Wagon Road was a venture designed to acquire public lands at little or no cost to the road company's investors. The construction company was able to secure thousands of acres of valuable grazing land in the Goose Lake Valley. Legal disputes kept the ownership of these lands in question for decades, preventing settlers from claiming land grants for farms and ranches. Ownership was finally decided by the United States Supreme Court in a case known as the ''United States versus the California and Oregon Land Company''. Eventually, the land passed into the hands of the ''Oregon Valley Land Company'', which subdivision (land), subdivided it into lots and parcels. The property was sold in a nationally advertised auction held in Lakeview, Oregon, in 1909. In 1867, General George Crook began a campaign to end Indian raids in south-central Oregon. Fort Warner, located northeast of the Goose Lake Valley, became Crook's headquarters. Crook's troops regularly passed through the Goose Lake Valley in pursuit of Indian raiders. In 1869, the local Paiute Indians signed a treaty and Army operations in the area were discontinued. The Army abandoned Fort Warner in 1874. After the Indian treaty was signed in 1869, settlers began to arrive in the Goose Lake Valley. New Pine Creek, Oregon, New Pine Creek was established in 1869, becoming the first community in the valley. However, because of its remoteness, New Pine Creek did not get a post office until 1876. One of the first settlers to homestead north of Goose Lake was M.W. Bullard. He arrived in 1869. Bullard later donated of his land for a courthouse and sold an additional around the courthouse site to establish a town. That town is now Lakeview, the county seat of Lake County, Oregon.McArthur, Lewis A. and Lewis L. McArthur, "New Pine Creek", ''Oregon Geographic Names'' (Seventh Edition), Oregon Historical Society Press, Portland, Oregon, 2003, p. 701.McArthur, Lewis A. and Lewis L. McArthur, "Lakeview", ''Oregon Geographic Names'' (Seventh Edition), Oregon Historical Society Press, Portland, Oregon, 2003, p. 557. The first sawmill in the Goose Lake Valley was built in 1872. It was located in California, southeast of Goose Lake. The mill was powered by a water wheel and supplied lumber to homesteads throughout the valley. A second saw mill was established in 1874, near Davis Creek, California. Since that time, lumber production has been an important part of the valley's economy. Doctor Bernard Daly played a very important role in the early economic development of the Goose Lake Valley. In 1897, he organized the Bank of Lakeview. When Lakeview's downtown area was destroyed by fire in May 1900, Daly financed the city's reconstruction. He helped bring the Nevada-California-Oregon Railway, Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad to Lakeview in 1912. Daly also served as County executive, County Judge from 1902 until his death in 1920. When he died, Daly gave his fortune to the people of Lake County in the form of the Bernard Daly Educational Fund. Over the years, the Daily Fund has provided college scholarships to over two thousand Lake County students.


Land use

Much of the Goose Lake Valley is privately owned agricultural land. As a result, agriculture is the primary source of income in the valley. Most of the agricultural land in the valley is used for cattle ranching. Crops are generally used for winter feed. Because of the short growing season, the valley's principal crops are hay, wheat, oats, and barley. There are also apple orchards near Davis Creek, California."Business Information"
''www.lakecountyor.org'', Lake County Government, Lakeview, Oregon, 17 August 2009.
Lumber mills are also an important part of the valley's economy. The Sustained Yield Forest Management Act of 1944 helped protect the local forest products industry. The sustained yield unit, in place since the late 1940s, requires a significant portion of the timber harvested from Fremont National Forest lands to be sold to mills located within of Lakeview. The mountain watersheds that drain into the valley from the north, west, and east are all part of the Fremont National Forest. The valley's southern watershed area is part of the Modoc National Forest."Land Ownership"
''www.lakecountyor.org'', Lake County Government, Lakeview, Oregon, 17 August 2009.
These public lands in and around the Goose Lake Valley offer numerous recreational opportunities including hang-gliding, hunting, fishing, hiking, birdwatching, wildlife viewing, boating, and camping."Nature History Discovery"
(PDF), Goose Lake State Recreation Area, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, Salem, Oregon, April 2009.

''www.OregonsOutback.com'', Lakeview, Oregon, 16 January 2010.
Goose Lake State Recreation Area is managed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. It is located on the east shore of Goose Lake on the Oregon side of the Oregon–California border. The campground has paved parking, public restrooms, picnic table, fire rings, and 48 spaces for trailers or recreation vehicles. There is also an open, grassy area for tent camping. Boating and birdwatching are popular park activities. A homesteader's orchard, inside the campground's boundary, draws wildlife to the area. The campground does not require reservations.


Communities

*Davis Creek, California, is an unincorporated community on the east side of the Goose Lake Valley near the south end of Goose Lake. *
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 ...
, is an incorporated city near the north end of the Goose Lake Valley. On 7 November 1876, local voters choose the town as the County seat of Lake County which had been established by the Oregon State Legislature in 1874. *New Pine Creek, Oregon, is an unincorporated community on the east side of Goose Lake, just north of the California state line. It is named after a nearby stream. Its post office was opened on 8 December 1876. *Pine Creek, California, is an unincorporated community on the east side of Goose Lake, just south of the Oregon state line.


References


External links


National Archive - 1911 photograph of Lakeview, OregonSalem Public Library: 1915 images of irrigation construction in the Goose Lake Valley
{{coord , 41.6 , -120.4 , type:landmark_region:US-OR_dim:80km , display=title Valleys of California Valleys of Oregon Valleys of Modoc County, California Landforms of Lake County, Oregon Agriculture in Oregon Regions of Oregon Regions of California