What is the history of the Blue Lake?

A sacred site and the center of Taos religious life, Blue Lake became part of the Carson National Forest in 1906. The Forest Service opened the area to the American public soon after but also to timber interests. As early as 1350 AD, Pueblos from Taos had farmed lands watered by rivers flowing from Blue Lake.



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The Blue Lake is known for its changing color, from grey to bright blue. Different dates have been given for its last eruption, of 28,000 years ago, 4300 years ago, and, recently, a little before 6000 years ago. If the youngest date is correct, this could be the most recent volcanic eruption on the Australian mainland.

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Factors such as water depth and how the nearby land is used also matter. Lake color depends in part, too, on what's in the water. Compared with blue lakes, green or brown lakes have more algae, suspended sediment and organic matter. That's according to Xiao Yang.

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Scientists attribute the lake water's clarity to its passage underground from Lake Constance, which filters out nearly all the particles suspended in the water. Its clarity reveals water's natural blue-violet colour.

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Blue Lake Regional Park It provides many wonderful opportunities for boating, fishing and swimming, and makes a beautiful backdrop for hundreds of family picnics, community events and special programs throughout the year.

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Water molecules absorb longer, visible wavelengths (e.g. red light, 600-700 nm) while shorter, blue wavelengths (< 500 nm) pass deeper into the water column. These short wavelengths scatter to create a deep blue color in clear lakes. Blue lakes are common in areas with fast draining soils and small lake watersheds.

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At 1,943 feet (592 meters), Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest in the world. The depths were first explored thoroughly in 1886 by a party from the U.S. Geological Survey.

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The Geology of Crater Lake Crater Lake is famous for its deep blue color. The water gets its color from the way sunlight reflects off of the particles in the water. These particles are very small, so they scatter the sunlight in all directions, making the water look blue. The water in Crater Lake is also very clear.

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Lake Baikal is a freshwater lake located in a geological rift valley in south-eastern Siberia. Soundings taken from the lake's Central Basin revealed it to be 1,642 metres (5,387 feet) deep. The lake is 636 kilometres (395 miles) long, with an average width of only 48 kilometres (30 miles).

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