Lake Pend Oreille
Encyclopedia
Lake Pend Oreille is a lake
in the northern Idaho Panhandle
, with a surface area of 148 square miles (383.3 km²). It is 65 miles (105 km) long, and 1,150 feet (350 m) deep in some regions, making it the fifth deepest in the United States. It is fed by the Clark Fork River and the Pack River
, and drains via the Pend Oreille River
. It is surrounded by national forests and a few small towns, with the largest population on the lake at Sandpoint. All but the southern tip of the lake is in Bonner County. The southern tip is in Kootenai County and is home to Farragut State Park
, formerly the Farragut Naval Training Station during World War II
of which a smaller part is still active and conducts US Navy acoustic
underwater submarine research http://articles.latimes.com/1998/aug/23/local/me-15711.
The forests consist of ponderosa pine
, Douglas fir, Poplar
, Quaking Aspen, Paper Birch
and Western Larch
. Local animal species include mule deer
, elk
, gray wolves, moose
, squirrels, black bears
, coyotes and bobcats, along with bald eagles, osprey
, owls
, hummingbirds, hawks, woodpeckers, ducks and the mountain bluebird
. The lake is a home for several species of migratory water fowl.
. It is also believed that the eastern side of the lake was in the path of the ancient Missoula Flood. The lake sits at the south end of the Purcell Trenchhttp://bulletin.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/112/9/1356, carved by glaciers moving south from Canada. The eastern side of the glacier is believed to have formed the dam for the Missoula flood, at the point where the Clark Fork river enters the lake between the Cabinet and Bitteroot mountains. The lake is made larger by the dam at Albeni Falls, just east of Oldtown ID. The dam is 90 feet (27.4 m) high and produces over 200 million kilowatt hours of electricity yearly. It is run by the Bonneville Power Administration. Along with Flathead Lake
, Crater Lake
, and Lake Chelan
, it ranks as one of the largest and deepest lakes in the Northwest.
The area around the Lake is the traditional home of the Kalispell Indian peoples. David Thompson
established a North West Company
trading post on the lake in 1809. A French Canadian fur trader on Thompson's party is believed to have given the lake its name. The words "Pend Oreille" are French for an ear-hanging or pendant. Ear pendants were characteristic of the Kalispell tribe. The lake is shaped much like a human ear when viewed from above or on a map.
During World War II
, the south end was the second largest naval training ground in the world. Built as a result of the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor
, the training station is now Farragut State Park
. The lake is still used by the Navy
's Acoustic Research Detachment to test large-scale submarine prototypes: the significant depth gives acoustic properties similar to the open ocean. http://www.dt.navy.mil/about_us/division_sites/acoustic_research_detachment/acoustic_research_detachment.html
The lake is viewed from the Pend Oreille Scenic Byway, State Highway 200
along the north shore. Much of the shore is mountainous. The mountains to the east of are the Green Monarchs, to the north are the Cabinet Mountains
, to the southwest the Coeur d'Alène
, and to northwest are the Selkirk mountains
.
treatment in Lake Pend Oreille. A group of Sandpoint moms, Mothers for Safe Water is concerned about this use of herbicides to treat milfoil.
, Lake trout
, Perch
, Black Crappie, White Crappie, Largemouth Bass
, Smallmouth Bass
, Spotted Bass
, Striped Bass
, White Bass
, Whitefish
, Walleye
, Northern Pike
and Kokanee. Lake Pend Oreille is also the home of the 37 pound state record kamloops rainbow trout caught by Wes Hamlet in 1947. http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/fish/record_fish/
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the northern Idaho Panhandle
Idaho Panhandle
The Idaho Panhandle is the northern region of the U.S. State of Idaho that encompasses the ten northernmost counties of Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone. Residents of the panhandle refer to the region as North Idaho...
, with a surface area of 148 square miles (383.3 km²). It is 65 miles (105 km) long, and 1,150 feet (350 m) deep in some regions, making it the fifth deepest in the United States. It is fed by the Clark Fork River and the Pack River
Pack River
The Pack River is a medium-sized river located in Northern Idaho. It is about long and drains a high mountainous area of the Idaho Panhandle's Rocky Mountains and Selkirk Mountains...
, and drains via the Pend Oreille River
Pend Oreille River
The Pend Oreille River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northern Idaho and northeastern Washington in the United States, as well as southeastern British Columbia in Canada. In its passage through British Columbia its name is spelled Pend-d'Oreille River...
. It is surrounded by national forests and a few small towns, with the largest population on the lake at Sandpoint. All but the southern tip of the lake is in Bonner County. The southern tip is in Kootenai County and is home to Farragut State Park
Farragut State Park
Farragut State Park is a state park of Idaho, USA, on the southern tip of the Lake Pend Oreille in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains. Formerly the site held the Farragut Naval Training Station, a major training base of the U.S. Navy during World War II. The base was named after David Farragut, the...
, formerly the Farragut Naval Training Station during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
of which a smaller part is still active and conducts US Navy acoustic
Acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in the field of acoustics...
underwater submarine research http://articles.latimes.com/1998/aug/23/local/me-15711.
The forests consist of ponderosa pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
, Douglas fir, Poplar
Poplar
Populus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar , aspen, and cottonwood....
, Quaking Aspen, Paper Birch
Paper Birch
Betula papyrifera is a species of birch native to northern North America.-Description:...
and Western Larch
Western Larch
Western Larch is a species of larch native to the mountains of western North America, in Canada in southeastern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta, and in the United States in eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, northern Idaho and western Montana.It is a large deciduous coniferous tree...
. Local animal species include mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, gray wolves, moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, squirrels, black bears
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, coyotes and bobcats, along with bald eagles, osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
, owls
OWLS
OWLS is a mnemonic used by general aviation airplane pilots to assess an unprepared surface for a precautionary landing.Like all mnemonics this check has become part of aviation culture and folklore.OWLS:* Obstacles* Wind direction...
, hummingbirds, hawks, woodpeckers, ducks and the mountain bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
The Mountain Bluebird is a medium-sized bird weighing about 2-5 ounces, with a length from 15–20 cm . They have light underbellies and black eyes. Adult males have thin bills are bright turquoise-blue and somewhat lighter beneath. Adult females have duller blue wings and tail, grey breast,...
. The lake is a home for several species of migratory water fowl.
History
Lake Pend Oreille was glacially formed during the ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. It is also believed that the eastern side of the lake was in the path of the ancient Missoula Flood. The lake sits at the south end of the Purcell Trenchhttp://bulletin.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/112/9/1356, carved by glaciers moving south from Canada. The eastern side of the glacier is believed to have formed the dam for the Missoula flood, at the point where the Clark Fork river enters the lake between the Cabinet and Bitteroot mountains. The lake is made larger by the dam at Albeni Falls, just east of Oldtown ID. The dam is 90 feet (27.4 m) high and produces over 200 million kilowatt hours of electricity yearly. It is run by the Bonneville Power Administration. Along with Flathead Lake
Flathead Lake
Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in the western part of the contiguous United States. With a surface area of between and , it is slightly larger than Lake Tahoe. The lake is a remnant of the ancient inland sea, Lake Missoula of the era of the last interglacial. Flathead Lake...
, Crater Lake
Crater Lake
Crater Lake is a caldera lake located in the south-central region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and famous for its deep blue color and water clarity. The lake partly fills a nearly deep caldera that was formed around 7,700 years agoby the...
, and Lake Chelan
Lake Chelan
Lake Chelan is a narrow, 55-mile-long lake in Chelan County, northern Washington state, U.S. It is the largest natural lake in Washington state...
, it ranks as one of the largest and deepest lakes in the Northwest.
The area around the Lake is the traditional home of the Kalispell Indian peoples. David Thompson
David Thompson (explorer)
David Thompson was an English-Canadian fur trader, surveyor, and map-maker, known to some native peoples as "Koo-Koo-Sint" or "the Stargazer"...
established a North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
trading post on the lake in 1809. A French Canadian fur trader on Thompson's party is believed to have given the lake its name. The words "Pend Oreille" are French for an ear-hanging or pendant. Ear pendants were characteristic of the Kalispell tribe. The lake is shaped much like a human ear when viewed from above or on a map.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the south end was the second largest naval training ground in the world. Built as a result of the Japanese
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
attack on Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, the training station is now Farragut State Park
Farragut State Park
Farragut State Park is a state park of Idaho, USA, on the southern tip of the Lake Pend Oreille in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains. Formerly the site held the Farragut Naval Training Station, a major training base of the U.S. Navy during World War II. The base was named after David Farragut, the...
. The lake is still used by the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
's Acoustic Research Detachment to test large-scale submarine prototypes: the significant depth gives acoustic properties similar to the open ocean. http://www.dt.navy.mil/about_us/division_sites/acoustic_research_detachment/acoustic_research_detachment.html
Other information
The following towns are adjacent to the Lake:- Sandpoint, IdahoSandpoint, IdahoSandpoint is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Bonner County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 7,365 at the 2010 census.Sandpoint's major economic contributors include forest products and light manufacturing, tourism and recreation and government services...
- Ponderay, IdahoPonderay, IdahoPonderay is a city in Bonner County, Idaho, United States. The population was 638 at the 2000 census and 1,137 at the 2010 census. Ponderay's city motto is "Little City with the Big Future".-Geography:Ponderay is located at ....
- Kootenai, IdahoKootenai, IdahoKootenai is a city in Bonner County, Idaho, United States. The population was 678 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Kootenai is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
- Hope, IdahoHope, IdahoHope is a city in Bonner County, Idaho, United States. The population was 86 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hope is located at ....
- Clark Fork, IdahoClark Fork, IdahoClark Fork is a city in Bonner County, Idaho, United States. The population was 536 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Clark Fork is located at ....
- Bayview, IdahoBayview, IdahoBayview is an unincorporated community in Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. Bayview is located on the southwest shore of Lake Pend Oreille east-northeast of Athol. The community is served by Idaho State Highway 54. Bayview has a post office with ZIP code 83803....
- Sagle, IdahoSagle, IdahoSagle is an unincorporated community in Bonner County, Idaho, United States. Sagle is south of Sandpoint. Sagle has a post office with ZIP code 83860....
The lake is viewed from the Pend Oreille Scenic Byway, State Highway 200
Idaho State Highway 200
State Highway 200 is a two-lane highway from Ponderay, Idaho eastward to the Montana border. The highway has been dedicated as a national scenic byway and given the name Pend Oreille Scenic Byway.-Route description:...
along the north shore. Much of the shore is mountainous. The mountains to the east of are the Green Monarchs, to the north are the Cabinet Mountains
Cabinet Mountains
The Cabinet Mountains are part of the Rocky Mountains, located in northwest Montana and the Idaho panhandle, in the United States. The mountains cover an area of 2,134 square miles...
, to the southwest the Coeur d'Alène
Coeur d'Alene Mountains
The Coeur d'Alene Mountains are the northwestern-most portion of the Bitterroot Range, part of the Rocky Mountains, located in the northern Idaho and westernmost Montana in the Western United States....
, and to northwest are the Selkirk mountains
Selkirk Mountains
The Selkirk Mountains are a mountain range spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle, eastern Washington, and southeastern British Columbia. They begin at Mica Peak near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and extend approximately 320 km north from the border. The range is bounded on its west,...
.
Geology
For more information on the geology of the Lake Pend Oreille see- http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/counties/bonner/geomap.htm
- http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/counties/kootenai/geomap.htm
- Alt, David. Glacial Lake Missoula and Its Humongous Floods. (Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Publishing Co., 2001
Aquatic Invasive Species
Bonner County Public Works oversees Eurasian MilfoilMyriophyllum spicatum
Myriophyllum spicatum is a species of Myriophyllum native to Europe, Asia, and north Africa. It is a submerged aquatic plant, and grows in still or slow-moving water.-Description:...
treatment in Lake Pend Oreille. A group of Sandpoint moms, Mothers for Safe Water is concerned about this use of herbicides to treat milfoil.
Fish
The lake is home to many species of fish, including rainbow troutRainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, Lake trout
Lake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
, Perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
, Black Crappie, White Crappie, Largemouth Bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
, Spotted Bass
Spotted bass
The Spotted Bass , also called "Spotty", "Leeman", or "Spots" in various fishing communities, is a species of freshwater fish sunfish family of order Perciformes. One of the black basses, it is native to the Mississippi River basin and across theGulf States, from central Texas through the Florida...
, Striped Bass
Striped bass
The striped bass is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the state saltwater fish of New York, Virginia, and New Hampshire...
, White Bass
White bass
The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass (MoroneIt is the state fish of Oklahoma.- Range :White bass are distributed widely across the United States, particularly in the midwest. They are very abundant in Pennsylvania and the area around Lake Erie...
, Whitefish
Whitefish
Whitefish or white fish may refer to:In fishing terminology:* Whitefish , a fisheries term referring to the flesh of many types of fishIn fish species:...
, Walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, Northern Pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
and Kokanee. Lake Pend Oreille is also the home of the 37 pound state record kamloops rainbow trout caught by Wes Hamlet in 1947. http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/fish/record_fish/
- Idaho Fish and Game
- Lake Pend Oreille Idaho Club volunteer, nonprofit interested in Kokanee survival
Conservation
- Pend Orielle Basin Commission formed to oversee any issues relating to water quality and/or water quantity in Lake Pend Oreille, Pend Oreille River, Priest Lake and Priest River Basin
- Lake *A* Syst voluntary educational program to assist homeowners in making well-informed decisions in managing their lakefront property
- Tri-State Water Quality Council Citizens, business, industry, tribes, government and environmental groups combined to oversee the Clark Fork-Pend Oreille river system
- Clark Fork - Pend Oreille Conservancy non-profit land trust serving Sanders County, Montana and Bonner County, Idaho
- Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Lake Pend Oreille Watershed Advisory Group
- Rock Creek Alliance nonprofit works to protect the water quality of the Clark Fork-Pend Oreille Watershed and the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Area (primarily from contamination from the mining industry)
- Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper environmental group part of the larger Waterkeeper Alliance http://www.waterkeeper.org
External links
- Idaho State Parks - official site - Farragut
- Idaho Public TV - Lake Pend Oreille
- U.S. Navy - Acoustic Research Detachment - Bayview, Idaho
- Global Security.org - U.S. Navy ARD - Bayview, Idaho
- U.S. Navy Undersea Warfare magazine - submarine stealth in Idaho
- Nav Source.org - photos of LSV-2 Cutthroat - Navy ARD - Bayview, ID
- Lake Pend Oreille Weather Buoy - U.S. Navy
- The World's Deepest Lakes
- Idaho Scenic Byways