Tenaya Lake

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Tenaya Lake
Tenaya Lake as seen from a hill northwest of the lake
Location	California
Coordinates	37.8308° N 119.4583° WCoordinates: 37.8308° N 119.4583° W
Primary outflows	Tenaya Creek
Basin countries	United States
Surface elevation	8,150 ft (2,484 m)

Tenaya Lake is a lake in Yosemite National Park, located between Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows.

Tenaya Lake was created by the Tenaya branch of the Tuolumne Glacier as it passed through Tenaya Canyon.^[1] The outflow of the lake is Tenaya Creek, which runs through Tenaya Canyon into Yosemite Valley. The surface of Tenaya Lake has an elevation of 8,150 feet (2,484 m).^[2]

Tenaya Lake is named after Chief Tenaya, who met the Mariposa Battalion near the shores of the lake. Ironically, Tenaya protested that the lake already had a name: Pie-we-ack, or "Lake of the Shining Rocks."^[3] This original name is now attached to a granite dome to the east of the lake.

[edit] References

1. ^  When You Arrive: Teaching Sites - Year-Round Sites. Yosemite National Park Interactive Classroom. Retrieved on October 11, 2005.
2. ^  Station Meta Data: TENAYA LAKE. California Department of Water Resources. Retrieved on October 11, 2005.
3. ^  Farquhar, Francis P. Place Names - T. Place Names of the High Sierra. Retrieved on October 11, 2005.