Woahink Lake

Woahink Lake
Location Near Pacific Ocean coast in Lane County, Oregon
Coordinates 43°54′55″N 124°06′01″W / 43.91528°N 124.10028°W / 43.91528; -124.10028Coordinates: 43°54′55″N 124°06′01″W / 43.91528°N 124.10028°W / 43.91528; -124.10028
Type Natural, permanent, oligotrophic
Primary outflows Woahink Creek
Catchment area 7 square miles (18 km2)
Basin countries United States
Surface area 820 acres (330 ha)
Average depth 33 feet (10 m)
Max. depth 74 feet (23 m)
Water volume 26,700 acre feet (32,900,000 m3)
Residence time 1.2 years
Shore length1 14 miles (23 km)
Surface elevation 43 feet (13 m)
Settlements North Beach, Dunes City
References [1][2][3]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Woahink Lake (hō’ hingk)[4] extends further below sea level than any other lake dammed by sand dunes along the coast of the U.S. state of Oregon.[1][5] The lake fills a depression in the Siltcoos River watershed about 3 miles (5 km) from the Pacific Ocean south of Florence along U.S. Route 101. The lowest point of the lake, which is up to 74 feet (23 m) deep, is about 36 feet (11 m) below sea level. The lake drains south to Siltcoos Lake via Woahink Creek.[1] The lake's name may derive from the Siuslaw language.[4]

Geology

Like Siltcoos Lake, Woahink Lake is a submerged remnant of a Siltcoos River delta that existed before the most recent ice age. The lake formed after melting glaciers caused a rise in sea level that drowned the lower reaches of Oregon's coastal rivers. Sediments from the sluggish rivers formed sand dunes, behind which the ancestral mouths of rivers like the Siltcoos became lakes. Unlike Siltcoos Lake, which is very shallow, Woahink Lake fills a narrow steep-walled depression along what was probably a tributary of the ancestral river.[1]

Watershed

Covering about 7 square miles (18 km2), Woahink Lake's drainage basin lies between a dune complex, part of Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, on the west and foothills of the Oregon Coast Range on the east.[1] U.S. Route 101 runs along the west side of the lake. Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park borders the northwest corner of the lake, and the unincorporated community of North Beach lies between Woahink and Siltcoos lakes.[6] North Beach and other residential areas near the lake are part of Dunes City.[3] Except for the state park, most of the shoreline and the land in the basin is privately owned. Rainfall averages 80 inches (2,000 mm) a year, and coniferous forest covers much of the undeveloped land.[1]

Recreation

The lake is popular for a variety of activities, including fishing. Species include largemouth bass, rainbow and coastal cutthroat trout, yellow perch, and others.[1] The part of the state park on the east side of the highway near Woahink Lake has boat ramps, a roped-off swimming area, group tent camps, picnic areas, and a meeting hall.[7] Lake Woahink Seaplane Base is located at the lake. Base headquarters are in Florence.[8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Johnson, Daniel M.; Petersen, Richard R.; Lycan, D. Richard; Sweet, James W.; Neuhaus, Mark E., and Schaedel, Andrew L. (1985). Atlas of Oregon Lakes. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press. pp. 120–21 and 144–45. ISBN 0-87071-343-4.
  2. ↑ "Woahink Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Atlas of Oregon Lakes: Woahink Lake (Lane County)". Portland State University. 1985–2012. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  4. 1 2 Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 573. ISBN 0-8061-3576-X.
  5. ↑ John Shewey (2007). Complete Angler's Guide to Oregon: A Wilderness Adventures Press Angler's Guidebook. Belgrade, Montana: Wilderness Adventures Press. pp. 48–49. ISBN 978-1-932098-31-0. Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  6. ↑ Oregon Atlas & Gazetteer. Freeport, Maine: DeLorme Mapping. 1991. p. 32. ISBN 0-89933-235-8.
  7. ↑ Bannan, Jan (2002). Oregon State Parks (2nd ed.). Seattle: The Mountaineers Books. pp. 56–57. ISBN 0-89886-794-0.
  8. ↑ "Lake Woahink Seaplane Base: 1O0". Airport Bug. 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2012.

External links

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