New Year Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New Year Lake |
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 New Year Lake
Location in Nevada
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| Location | Washoe County, Nevada |
| Coordinates | 41°45′13.7″N 119°57′1.61″W / 41.753806°N 119.9504472°W |
| Surface elevation | 5,948 ft (1,813 m) |
New Year Lake is a beautiful lake located in the northwestern part of Washoe County, Nevada. It sits high up in the Hays Canyon Range, about 5,948 feet (1,813 meters) above sea level. This lake has an interesting history, especially when it comes to its name!
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Exploring New Year Lake
New Year Lake is found in a somewhat remote area of Nevada. It's part of the Great Basin, a large region where rivers and streams don't flow into an ocean. Instead, they flow into lakes or dry up.
Early Explorers and the Lake
A famous explorer named John C. Frémont passed by New Year Lake on December 26, 1843. He was on his second big trip to explore the American West. When he made a map of the area in 1845, the lake was shown but didn't have a name yet. It was just another part of the vast, unexplored landscape.
A Lake with Different Names
The name of New Year Lake has changed a few times over the years. This shows how names can sometimes be debated or updated based on history and local stories.
The Name "Crook's Lake"
In 1966, the name of New Year Lake was officially changed to Crook's Lake in the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). The GNIS is like a big dictionary of names for places in the United States. This change happened because a local rancher told the Board on Geographic Names that people in the area called it "Crooks Lake." He said this name came from a conflict that happened near the lake in 1867. This event involved General George Crook and the Northern Paiute people.
Returning to "New Year Lake"
However, the name change didn't last forever. In 1989, the name was changed back to "New Year Lake." This decision was made because "New Year Lake" was the name that had been used for a very long time in historical records. Today, "Crooks Lake" is still listed as another way people have referred to the lake. Another name, Roops Lake, is also sometimes mentioned as a past name for the lake.
