- Lake Lahontan
Ancient Lake Lahontan was a large
endorheic lake that existed during theice age , covering much of northwesternNevada , extending into northeasternCalifornia and southernOregon . At its peak approximately 12,700 years ago (during a period known as the "Sehoo Highstand"), the lake had a surface area of over 8500 square miles, [ [http://parks.nv.gov/lah.htm Nevada Division of State Parks: Lahontan State Recreation Area ] ] with its largest component centered at the location of the presentCarson Sink . The depth of the lake was approximately 900 feet [ [http://www.walkerlakenv.org/history.htm Walker Lake Interpretive Association History] ] (290 m) at present day Pyramid Lake, and 500 feet (150 m) at theBlack Rock Desert . Lake Lahontan, during this earlier ice age, would have been one of the largest lakes inNorth America . [ [http://parks.nv.gov/lah.htm Nevada Division of State Parks: Lahontan State Recreation Area Lake Lahontan Yacht Club] ]Climate change around the end of the
Pleistocene epoch led to a gradualdesiccation of ancient Lake Lahontan. The lake had largely disappeared in its extended form by approximately 9,000 years ago. As the surface elevation dropped, the lake broke up into series of smaller lakes, most of which rapidly dried up leaving only aplaya . These playas include theBlack Rock Desert , theCarson Sink and theHumboldt Sink . The only modern day remnants existing as true lakes are Pyramid Lake and Walker Lake.Winnemucca Lake has been dry since the 1930s andHoney Lake periodically desiccates. The ancient shoreline is evidenced bytufa formations throughout the area.Surprisingly, the watershed feeding Lake Lahontan is not thought to have been significantly wetter during its highstand than it is currently. Rather, its desiccation is thought to be mostly due to increase in the
evaporation rate as the climate warmed.Fact|date=May 2008 Recent computer simulations (using theDSSAM Model [C.M.Hogan,Marc Papineau et al. "Development of a dynamic water quality simulation model for the Truckee River", Earth Metrics Inc., Environmental Protection Agency Technology Series, Washington D.C. (1987)] and other techniques) indicate that if precipitation and evaporation rates within the watershed were maintained at their historical yearly maximum and minimum, respectively and if diversions of theTruckee River ceased, the Ice Age extent of Lake Lahontan could return.The existence of the lake coincided roughly with the first appearance of humans in that region of
North America . Archaeological evidence exists along the ancient lake shore of early human habitation.ee also
*
Lake Bonneville
*List of prehistoric lakes
*Paiute References
External links
* [http://www.rangerovers.net/expeditions/lakelahontan/ Exploring Nevada's Ice Age Lake]
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