Clear Lake is a mountain
lake
A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...
northeast of
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie River (Oregon), McKenzie and Willamette River, Willamette rivers, ...
,
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in
Linn County. It has two main bodies connected by a bottleneck. The lake is primarily fed by snow runoff from nearby
Mount Washington
Mount Washington is an ultra-prominent mountain in the state of New Hampshire. It is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at and the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River.
The mountain is notorio ...
and the surrounding areas. The runoff filters through caverns for more than 20 years before emptying into Clear Lake. The lake is also fed by two small creeks, which may dry up seasonally, along with Great Spring, the source of the McKenzie River.
Clear Lake is the headwaters of the
McKenzie River, which is the sole source of drinking water for Eugene.
The south end of Clear Lake empties 250,000 gallons per minute (57 million Liters/hour) into the White Water Rapids which then flows over
Sahalie Falls
Sahalie Falls, sometimes referred to as Upper Falls, is a plunging waterfall of the McKenzie River (Oregon), McKenzie River in Linn County, Oregon, Linn County, Oregon, United States. The falls are located on the eastern edge of the Willamette Na ...
and
Koosah Falls 1 mile downstream on the opposite side of Highway 126.
Diving
Clear Lake is reported to be one of the most exceptional freshwater dive spots in Oregon.
Submerged deep in the lake is a stand of upright trees that were killed approximately 3,000 years ago when volcanic activity created the lake. The trees are remarkably preserved due to the cold year-round water temperatures of between .
[
]
Hiking
Clear Lake is circled by Clear Lake Loop Trail, a hike loop made up of Clear Lake Trail and McKenzie River Trail that is long. An accompanying trail guide prepared by Willamette National Forest tells visitors about Clear Lake and the neighboring lava field and forest.
See also
* List of lakes in Oregon
This is a list of the lakes and reservoirs of Oregon. Swimming, fishing, and/or boating are permitted in some of these lakes, but not all.
Gallery
File:AbertRim-right.jpg, Lake Abert and the Abert Rim
File:Applegate Lake Oregon.jpg, Applegate ...
References
External links
*
*
Lakes of Oregon
Lakes of Linn County, Oregon
Willamette National Forest
Protected areas of Linn County, Oregon
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