Lake of the Woods (Oregon)
Lake of the Woods | |
---|---|
Location | Klamath County, Oregon, USA |
Coordinates | 42°22′09″N 122°12′57″W / 42.36930°N 122.21570°W |
Type | Natural |
Catchment area | 26 square miles (67 km2) |
Max. length | 2.75 mi (4.43 km) |
Max. width | 3⁄4 mi (1.2 km) |
Surface area | 1,146 acres (464 ha) |
Average depth | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
Max. depth | 55 ft (17 m) |
Surface elevation | 4,949 ft (1,508 m) |
Lake of the Woods is a natural lake near the crest of the
History
Lake of the Woods was named by Oregon pioneer Oliver C. Applegate while he was building a road near the lake in 1870. Applegate also built a cabin at the south end of the lake, becoming the area's first resident.[1][2]
Lake of the Woods became part of the
In 1932, Lake of the Woods and the lakeside campgrounds were transferred to the
In 1937, there were 120 summer homes around Lake of the Woods. The next year, power lines brought electricity to the area for the first time. By 1948, the number of summer homes at the lake had grown to 200. There were also four organizational summer camps located around the lake. In 1951, the resort Lodge was destroyed in a fire, but was quickly rebuilt and reopened for business. The number of recreational visitors continued to increase throughout the 1950s, with as many as 5,000 people visiting the lake on some weekends. In 1958, Oregon Route 140 was completed, providing residents of Klamath Falls and Medford with easy access to the lake.[2][5]
In 1961, the Forest Service transferred Lake of the Woods and the surrounding forest to the newly formed
Watershed
Lake of the Woods is located near the crest the Cascade Range in southern Oregon, 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Mount McLoughlin.[8][9] Most of the lake water comes from groundwater seepage; however, there are also three tributary creeks. Rainbow Creek is a year-round tributary, while Billie Creek and Dry Creek have only seasonal flows. The lake's only outlet flows into Great Meadow, a wetland at the northeast end of the lake. Great Meadow drains into Seldom Creek, which flows into Upper Klamath Lake. Lake of the Woods only discharges water in the spring. During the drier summer and fall months, lake water is lost only through groundwater seepage and evaporation.[3][8][10][11]
The watershed that drains into Lake of the Woods spans 26 square miles (67 km2) and is covered by a mixed
Lake environment
Lake of the Woods is a natural lake that covers 1,146 acres (4.64 km2). It is approximately 2.75 miles (4.43 km) long and 0.75 miles (1.21 km) wide. The lake has an average depth of 27 feet (8.2 m) with a maximum depth of 55 feet (17 m) near the western shore.[3] The water levels in Lake of the Woods only fluctuate about 2 feet (0.61 m) during a normal year. The surface water normally warms to the low 70s °F (low 20s °C) in the summer and freezes in the winter.[12][13] The lake's bottom is 52 percent detritus, 19 percent sand, 15 percent vegetation, 11 percent rock, and 3 percent mud.[14]
There have been a number of studies of lake's environment and water quality.
While the water quality in Lake of the Woods has not been significantly degraded by heavy recreational use, additional development could do so. To prevent this, the Forest Service began taking proactive steps to preserve the lake's water quality in the mid-1990s. These actions included closing some roads near the lake, funding a number of road drainage improvement projects, and initiating a soil conservation education program. The Forest Service also encourages cabin owners to install new septic systems and actively promotes the use of low-phosphate detergents in the Lake of the Woods community. It also created the Dry Creek Riparian Reserve to restrict development. When studies indicated that increasing use of motorized watercraft was contributing to shoreline erosion, the Forest Service amended Lake of the Woods recreational residence permits to require permit holders to plant native vegetation along the shoreline of the lake, and prohibited the removal of naturally fallen trees along the shoreline. So far, these measures have been successful in protecting the lake's water quality and minimizing shoreline erosion.[2][12]
Ecology
The lake's
The first fish survey at Lake of the Woods was conducted in 1941. However, the lake had been regularly stocked with non-native fish for many years before the survey, so it is impossible to know what fish species were native to the lake. In 1947, researchers from Oregon State University interviewed several people who had fished at the lake in the late 19th century, before any non-native fish were introduced into the lake. Based on those interviews, the researchers concluded that rainbow trout, tui chub, and possibly one or more sucker species may have been native to the lake. However, a University of Michigan study done for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife concluded that there were no sucker species native to the lake. That report suggested that the Great Basin redband trout was probably the only species native to the lake.[7]
Lake of the Woods was stocked for the first time in 1913. This introduced hatchery-breed rainbow trout into the lake. This stocking produced a decade of good trout
Today, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife manages the Lake of the Woods fishery. The agency has used both natural production and stocking to maintain and balance the fish populations. Brook trout, black crappie, brown bullheads, yellow perch, largemouth bass, blue chub, and tui chub have self-sustaining populations, while the kokanee salmon, brown trout, and rainbow trout populations are supplemented by stocking.[7] The kokanee salmon caught in Lake of the Woods average 12 inches (300 mm); the brown trout average 14 inches (360 mm) to 19 inches (480 mm); and most rainbow trout are about 10 inches (250 mm), but a few reach up to 2 pounds.[13]
In addition to fish, the lake provides habitat for a wide variety of bird species. From the Forest Service campgrounds along the lake shore, birdwatchers can see
The fir-dominated forest around Lake of the Woods is home to numerous mammals, both large and small. The large mammals include
Each year in June, the Winema National Forest hosts a week-long summer resource management program for sixty high school students at Lake of the Woods. The participating students come from Oregon, Washington, and California. The Forest Service gives the attendees the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while learning about the natural environment. Participants study geology, forestry, fisheries, and wildlife in various environments. They also learn about recreation management, wildfire control, wilderness stewardship, and cultural resources. At the end of the week, the students develop and present a land management plan to demonstrate what they learned.[16]
Recreation
Today, Lake of the Woods is a very popular recreation site. There are 218 summer homes around the lake. All of these homes require Forest Service recreational residence permits. There are two campgrounds with 124 campsites on the east shore of the lake. Aspen Point campground has 60 campsites, and Sunset campground has 64 campsites. There are also three day-use areas for
During the summer, the lake is a popular place for swimming, fishing,
Lake of the Woods Resort is open for 12 months of the year. It offers 33 cabins and sites for 22 recreational vehicles. In 2011 the Resort took over management of the Forest Service campgrounds by the lake. The main lodge of the resort has a restaurant, general store and gift shop. The resort provides a full-service marina with a boat launch, moorages, boat rentals, and motorboat fuel available. There is also an automobile service station at the resort.[11]
Location
Lake of the Woods is located near the crest of the Cascade Mountains in western Klamath County, Oregon. Its elevation is 4,949 feet (1,508 m) above sea level. The lake is surrounded by the Fremont–Winema National Forest.[3][5][9] Lake of the Woods is 33 miles (53 km) west of Klamath Falls and 43 miles (69 km) east of Medford. The small unincorporated community of Lake of the Woods, Oregon, is located on the east shore of the lake, approximately 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) south of Oregon Route 140. There is a Forest Service visitor center at the historic Lake of the Woods Ranger Station at the north end of the lake, just off Route 140. The visitor center is open during the summer.[5][9]
See also
- List of lakes in Oregon
References
- ^ McArthur, p. 555
- ^ a b c d e f Rose and Ford, pp. 8–11
- ^ a b c d e f Rose and Ford, p. 1
- ^ "Lake of the Woods Ranger Station (Work Center)" (PDF), National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C., 8 April 1986.
- ^ a b c d e Joslin, pp. 214–216
- ^ "About the Forest", Fremont–Winema National Forests, United States Department of Agriculture, Lakeview, Oregon, 23 October 2011.
- ^ a b c d Rose and Ford, pp. 18–24
- ^ a b c Rose and Ford, pp. 5–6
- ^ a b c Lake of the Woods Ranger Station, Oregon topographic map, United States Geological Survey, United States Department of Interior, Reston, Virginia; displayed via ACME mapper, www.acme.com, 13 October 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "Lake of the Woods/Great Meadow", Klamath Falls Birding Trail, Klamath Wingwatchers and Fremont–Winema National Forests, Klamath Falls, Oregon, 21 October 2011.
- ^ a b c d "About the Lake", Lake of the Woods Resort, www.lakeofthewoodsresort.com, Klamath Falls, Oregon, 23 December 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Rose and Ford, pp. 16–18
- ^ a b c Yuskavitch, pp. 188–190
- ^ a b c Rose and Ford, pp. 13–14
- ^ "Mammals: Species List, Status, and Habitat" (PDF), Appendix F, Eastern Region Long-Range Forest Management Plan, Klamath-Lake District, Eastern Oregon Region, Oregon Department of Forestry, Klamath Falls, Oregon, October 1995.
- ^ "Learning Center", Fremont–Winema National Forests, United States Department of Agriculture, Klamath Falls, Oregon, 14 November 2011.
- ^ "Campground Camping", Klamath Ranger District, Fremont–Winema National Forests, United States Department of Agriculture, Klamath Falls, Oregon, 25 October 2011.
Works cited
- Joslin, Les, "Lake of the Woods Ranger Station", Uncle Sam's Cabins, Wilderness Association, Bend, Oregon, 1995.
- McArthur, Lewis A. and Lewis L., "Lake of the Woods", Oregon Geographic Names (Seventh Edition), Oregon Historical Society Press, Portland, Oregon, 2003.
- Rose, Cathleen E. and M.S. Jesse Ford, "Land Use and Fisheries History in the Lake of the Woods Watershed" (PDF), Report for the Fremont-Winema National Forest by the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, December 2004.
- Yuskavitch, Jim, "Lake of the Woods", Fishing Oregon: An Angler's Guide to Top Fishing Spots, Morris Book Publishing, Kearney, Nebraska, 2008.