Soda Lake (San Bernardino County) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Soda Lake |
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Soda Lake, San Bernardino County, California. Zzyzx and the Desert Studies Center in the foreground.
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 Soda Lake
Location in California
Soda Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Mojave National Preserve San Bernardino County, California |
| Coordinates | 35°09′55″N 116°04′17″W / 35.16519°N 116.07142°W |
| Type | Endorheic basin |
| Primary inflows | Mojave River |
| Primary outflows | Terminal (evaporation) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 24 km (15 mi) |
| Max. width | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
| Shore length1 | 75 km (47 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 288 m (945 ft) |
| Settlements | Baker, California Zzyzx, California |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Soda Lake is a unique dry lake found in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California. It's where the Mojave River ends its journey. Even though it's called a "dry lake," it can have standing water during very wet times. You can also find water hidden just beneath its surface.
Contents
What is Soda Lake?
Soda Lake is mostly a dry lakebed. This means it's usually flat and dusty. It's a special type of lake called an Endorheic basin. This means water flows into it, but it doesn't flow out to any ocean or river. Instead, the water either sinks into the ground or dries up.
How Soda Lake Formed
Long, long ago, Soda Lake was part of a much bigger lake. This ancient lake was called Lake Mojave. It was a large lake that always had water. Over thousands of years, the climate changed. It became much drier. As the water in Lake Mojave dried up, it left behind Soda Lake and another dry lake called Silver Lake.
Why is it Called "Soda" Lake?
The name "Soda Lake" comes from the minerals left behind. When the water in the lake dries up, it leaves behind salty minerals. These minerals are mostly different types of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. These are similar to the baking soda you might have in your kitchen! This is why the lakebed can look white and crusty.
Where to Find Soda Lake
Soda Lake is located in the southern part of the Mojave National Preserve. It's easy to spot if you are traveling on Interstate 15.
- You can see parts of the lake near the Zzyzx Road exit.
- It's also visible from the Oat Ditch bridge.
- If you look south from the city of Baker, you can see the Soda Lake bridge. This bridge is also known as the Mojave River bridge.
