Pacific Tarn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pacific Tarn |
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Pacific Tarn in the Tenmile Range of Colorado
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 Pacific Tarn
Location in Colorado
Pacific Tarn
Location in the United States
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| Location | Summit County, Colorado, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°25′11″N 106°07′11″W / 39.41972°N 106.11972°W |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 560 ft (170 m) |
| Max. width | 464 ft (141 m) |
| Surface area | 4.7 acres (1.9 ha) |
| Max. depth | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Surface elevation | 13,420 ft (4,090 m) |
Pacific Tarn is a very special small lake high up in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in the United States. It's famous because it's the highest named lake in the entire United States! Its surface is an amazing 13,420 feet (about 4,090 meters) above sea level. The United States Board on Geographic Names officially recognizes its name.
Pacific Tarn
This amazing lake is called a tarn. A tarn is a small mountain lake, often found in a hollow carved out by a glacier. Pacific Tarn is truly unique because of its incredible height. It is the highest lake in the United States that has an official name.
Where is Pacific Tarn?
Pacific Tarn is located in Summit County, Colorado. It sits high up on the eastern side of Pacific Peak. This peak is part of the Tenmile Range, which is a mountain range within the larger Rocky Mountains. Imagine a lake sitting almost on top of a mountain!
How Pacific Tarn Got Its Name
For a long time, this high-altitude lake didn't have an official name. That changed thanks to the efforts of a person named Carl Drews. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.
In 2002, Carl Drews organized a special trip to the lake. His team measured how big the lake was, how deep it went, and even checked the water's chemistry. This information was important for giving the lake an official name.
Finally, on January 8, 2004, the United States Board on Geographic Names officially approved the name "Pacific Tarn" for the lake. This made it the highest officially named lake in the country.
