Alkali Lakes (California)
| Alkali Lakes | |
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A flooded Upper Alkali Lake is seen from Fandango Pass in the Warner Mountains in January 2012
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| Location | Modoc County, California and Washoe County, Nevada |
| Coordinates |
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| Type | Endorheic basin, alkaline, seasonal |
| Part of | Great Basin |
| Primary outflows | None |
| Catchment area | 878 sq mi (2,270 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 370 sq mi (960 km2) (Total) |
The Alkali Lakes are a series of three large playas located in the Surprise Valley of northeastern California, United States. From north to south they are known as Upper, Middle and Lower Alkali Lake. Upper Alkali Lake is often known simply as Upper Lake, and Lower Alkali Lake as Lower Lake. Although mostly located in Modoc County, California, the eastern edges of Middle and Lower Lakes touch Washoe County, Nevada. The Warner Mountains are located to the west of the three lakes. The lake beds are typically flooded with shallow water in the winter but dry up during most summers.
The town of Fort Bidwell is located at the north end of Upper Alkali Lake. Lake City and Cedarville are located between and west of Upper and Middle Alkali Lakes. Eagleville is situated south of Lower Alkali Lake. California State Route 299 crosses the basin in-between the Upper and Middle lakes.As the crow flies, the lakes are located about 40 miles (64 km) east of Alturas and 150 miles (240 km) northeast of Redding.
The lakes lie at the bottom of a graben created by the Surprise Valley Fault, which has experienced nearly a mile (1.6 km) of vertical displacement, resulting in the steep eastern scarp of the Warner Mountains. They are a remnant of Glacial Lake Lahontan, which existed up until about 12,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. Sediment deposits indicate Lake Lahontan was up to 550 feet (170 m) deep in this area, which would have filled the entire valley.
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