Blue Lake Watershed, Modoc National Forest, CA

This project is set up to document the flora and fauna of the Blue Lake watershed in the South Warner Mountains of Modoc National Forest in Lassen County, California. At an elevation of 6,000 feet, the 160 acre lake is about 15 miles east of the town of Likely (Route 64 to Blue Lake Road), which is about 18 miles south of Alturas (on Highway 395).

Blue Lake was formed when a landslide on the north side of Blue Lake blocked the flow of water on Parsnip Creek. This is described at the beginning of a distinguished career by Joel Richard Russell in his article "Landslide Lakes of the Northwestern Great Basin" (University of California Publications in Geography, Vol. 2, No. 7, May 12, 1927, pp. 231-254). After describing the formation of Clear Lake (about 10 miles due north of Blue Lake) in some detail, he concludes the two lakes were formed within the last couple of centuries, likely "set off" by an earthquake. A less specific estimate of when the landside occurred is provided by James E. Slosson in his article "Surprise Valley Fault" in California Geology (December , 1974, pp. 267-70). He states " The scarp or scars associated with the landsides that formed [Blue and Clear Lakes] are youthful in appearance and suggest Holocene age [11,600 BCE to the present].

Below Blue Lake the creek is referred to as Parsnip Creek. However, locally the creek that enters on the east side of Blue Lake is called Blue Lake Creek. Parsnip Springs (identified on many maps about a mile northeast of Blue Lake along Blue Lake Road) and Blue Lake Creek are likely fed by the same aquifer. Several smaller springs are found around Blue Lake, particularly at the South end. There is also reported to be a spring under the water on the east side of Blue Lake.

Blue Lake Campground with 48 campsites is located among Ponderosa Pines and White Fir Trees on a hillside on the east side of Blue Lake. The Blue Lake Wildfire in 2001 burned 35,000 acres in the area, but the campground was largely untouched by the fire. less ↑