How were the bottomless lakes formed?

Bottomless Lakes State Park is a chain of eight lakes, ranging in depth from 17 to 90 ft. They are actually sinkholes or cenotes formed by the underground dissolution of gypsum and salt caus- ing the overlying rocks to collapse and form deep holes and under- ground caverns.



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Vaqueros (cowboys) who could not find the bottom of the lakes reportedly gave them their name (Young, 1984). They would tie two or three ropes together and drop them into the lakes to try to reach the bottom. The ropes were not long enough, so the vaqueros thought the lakes were bottomless!

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The unique lakes at this park are sinkholes, ranging from 17 to 90 feet deep. The greenish- blue color created by aquatic plants is what gives the lakes the illusion of great depth.

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The lakes have dark water and steep sides which led early explorers to think the depths were limitless, though they actually range from 17 feet to 90 feet.

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Established in 1933, it was the first state park in New Mexico. It takes its name from nine small, deep lakes located along the eastern escarpment of the Pecos River valley.

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Situated in south-east Siberia, the 3.15-million-ha Lake Baikal is the oldest (25 million years) and deepest (1,700 m) lake in the world. It contains 20% of the world's total unfrozen freshwater reserve.

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The park's nine lakes are not actually lakes, and they are not actually bottomless. They are sinkholes filled with water (or cenotes, if you prefer) that range from 17 to 90 feet deep. It's the unique blue-green color given off by underwater plants that makes the bodies of water look endless.

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