Siltcoos Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siltcoos Lake |
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View from Westlake Park
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 Siltcoos Lake
Location in Oregon
Siltcoos Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Near Pacific Ocean coast in Douglas and Lane counties, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 43°52′54″N 124°06′45″W / 43.88167°N 124.11250°W |
| Type | Natural, permanent, eutrophic |
| Primary inflows | Woahink, Fiddle, Maple, and Lane creeks |
| Primary outflows | Siltcoos River |
| Catchment area | 68 square miles (180 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 3,164 acres (1,280 ha) |
| Average depth | 11 feet (3.4 m) |
| Max. depth | 22 feet (6.7 m) |
| Water volume | 33,900 acre-feet (41,800,000 m3) |
| Residence time | 2 months |
| Shore length1 | 28 miles (45 km) |
| Surface elevation | 13 feet (4.0 m) |
| Islands | Booth, Reed (Webber), Jernigan (Goat), Boy Scout, Butterfly, Grass, |
| Settlements | Dunes City, Westlake Siltcoos, Oregon |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Siltcoos Lake is the biggest lake on the Oregon Coast in the United States. It's about 3,164 acres (1,280 ha) big. Water flows into it from an area of about 68 square miles (180 km2) in Douglas and Lane counties. The lake is located about 7 miles (11 km) south of Florence. It's also about 0.5 miles (1 km) east of U.S. Route 101. The name "Siltcoos" comes from an old local Native American word.
The lake sits about 13 feet (4 m) above sea level. Its water flows into the Siltcoos River, which winds west for about 3 miles (4.8 km) until it reaches the Pacific Ocean. A small dam about half a mile down the river helps control how much water leaves the lake.
How Siltcoos Lake Formed
Siltcoos Lake is what's left of an old river delta from the Siltcoos River. This delta existed before the last ice age. When the glaciers melted, sea levels rose. This caused the lower parts of Oregon's coastal rivers to become flooded.
Over time, sand and dirt from the slow-moving rivers built up. These sediments formed sand dunes. Behind these dunes, the old river mouths, like the Siltcoos River's, turned into lakes. Other nearby lakes, like Woahink Lake and Tahkenitch Lake, formed in a similar way.
Lake Life and Water Quality
Siltcoos Lake gets most of its fresh water from four small creeks: Woahink, Fiddle, Maple, and Lane creeks. The lake is quite shallow. About 80 percent of it is less than 15 feet (4.6 m) deep. Also, 32 percent of the lake is made up of very shallow areas called shoals.
Because it's so shallow, the lake is very rich in nutrients. This means it has a lot of aquatic plants like Elodea and Myriophyllum. Many types of warm-water fish live here because there's plenty of food. However, these nutrients have also caused problems with algal blooms in the past. Algal blooms are when tiny water plants grow very quickly, sometimes turning the water green or murky.
Some people in Dunes City and nearby areas use the lake water for drinking. In 2007, for 52 days, people were told not to drink the lake water. This was because of a thick bloom of a blue-green algae called Anabaena planktonica. This type of algae can sometimes make toxins. Because of these algae problems, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has put Siltcoos Lake on its list of "impaired" water bodies. This means the water quality isn't as good as it should be.
Fun Things to Do at Siltcoos Lake
Siltcoos Lake is a very popular spot for fishing. Many warm-water fish live here. You can also find ocean fish like Coho salmon and steelhead that swim into the lake.
- Fishing: Anglers often try to catch bass that can weigh up to 10 pounds (5 kg). Other fish you might catch include perch, catfish, crappies, bluegill, and cutthroat trout. The biggest Coho Salmon ever caught in Oregon was caught here. Also, the state record for coastal Cutthroat Trout was caught here in 1984 by Kay Schmidt; it weighed 6 pounds, 4 ounces.
- Camping: There are several places to camp near the lake.
- Darlings Marina and RV resort is on the North Beach of Siltcoos Lake.
- ADA fishing resort is located on Fiddle Creek.
- Tyee Campground is along the Siltcoos River.
- Waxmyrtle and Lagoon campgrounds can be reached from U.S. Route 101 south of the lake.
- Driftwood II Campground is west of Lagoon Campground.
- Seaplane Base: The Siltcoos Lake Seaplane Base is located right on the lake. Its main office is in Westlake.
