Clear Lake: The Underwater Forest, Oregon

in this video we will explore and learn about Oregon's Clear Lake the story of how Clear Lake was formed explains these unusual underwater trees [Music] Clear Lake sits at the base of the Cascades in Linn County the lake is the starting point of the Mackenzie River with no motorized boats allowed this lake is calm healthy and provides many recreational opportunities the starting point for visitors is Clear Lake Resort the resort is open from spring to fall there is a store here restaurant boat rentals and lodging before getting in the lake you can circle around it with the five-mile Clear Lake loop trail [Music] there are quite a few things to see when circling this lake at the south end of the lake you can see the headwaters of the Mackenzie River [Music] if you walk about a mile south of the lake you can see Sahay Lee and kusa Falls [Music] though not the primary water source feeding into the lake at the North our two creeks a connect and Fish Lake Creek the main water source of Clear Lake is called great spring the water from this spring starts as snowmelt at Mount Washington the snowmelt flows for years through lava rock caverns until reaching this great spring that fills Clear Lake [Music] the water here is even more clear in blue than Clear Lake this is because it has been filtered through lava rock and is too cold for microorganisms to grow [Music] [Music] on the east side of the lake are a few lava fields that remind us of how the lake was formed three thousand years ago there was volcanic activity that changed the land lava flowed from Sand Mountain up to the Mackenzie River the lava then formed a wall which changed the direction of the river to fill the valley that is now Clear Lake some of the trees in this valley survived the lava and have been preserved by the clear Lakes cold water [Music] at a higher altitude of about 3,000 feet clear Lake's temperature stays just above freezing year-round [Music] one of the best ways to experience Clear Lake is by renting a boat from the resort being so clear the lake is also very popular for diving the volcanic forming of Clear Lake brought new ecosystems that the fish had to adapt to brook trout and cutthroat trout reproduce naturally in the lake rainbow trout are also stocked here for fishing as all the footage from this videos in the fall and winter you will not see any of the fish after exploring the lake for a bit you may come upon something unusual large trees left from the forest that used to be here are still standing just like ice the cold water has preserved these trees for thousands of years the lake stays extra clear and blue for a few reasons a high-altitude cold water makes it hard for algae and other bacteria to grow the main water source is snowmelt filtered through lava rock caverns gas powered boats are not allowed in the lake keeping the waters pure of pollutants though a small amount of human waste and things like sunscreen do end up in the lake wildlife also appreciates the lack of motor noise sometimes above Clear Lake you can see an osprey [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] much like the result of a forest fire only some trees survive the lava the tallest trees remaining in the underwater forest are said to be about a hundred feet [Music] [Music] the deepest part of the lake is about a hundred and seventy-five feet while the average depth is about 50 feet good visibility in freshwater lakes is not very common as it is usually murky [Music] divers say you can see up to 100 feet away in this lake all kinds of recreational paddling is enjoyed at Clear Lake while the width of the lake is only a thousand feet the length is about a mile it is important to note again how cold the lake is swimming in cold water is dangerous and can lead to hypothermia the freezing water does deter most swimming but if you do swimmin it is important to be prepared Clear Lake is a great place to visit with activities for just about everyone [Music] with so many options you could visit a few times each with a different experience [Music] the history of the lake shows a great example of our natural lands are formed [Music] I hope you enjoyed exploring and learning about Clear Lake you

Channel: Matt.Cook.Oregon

Views: 108,575

Keywords: mattcookoregon, Oregon, PNW, explore, hiking, YouTubeOutdoors, clear lake, clear lake oregon, fresh water diving, oregon diving, underwater footage, great spring, clear lake resort, clearlake, mckenzi

Id: 2Y0Y-pTqNf0

Length: 12min 28sec (748 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 05 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/HappyTrailsHiking]

Another great video, Matt. One of these years, we will get back to Oregon and will visit some of these places. Great information! You know I love the maps. Your voiceovers are on point. Thanks!