Pacific Tarn
Encyclopedia
Pacific Tarn
is a small lake
located in the Colorado
Rocky Mountains
in the United States
. It is notable for its 13,420 foot (4,090 m) elevation, making it the highest lake in the United States whose name is recognized by the United States Board on Geographic Names
.
The lake sits atop the broad eastern ridge of Pacific Peak in the Tenmile Range
.
Efforts to name the lake were spearheaded by Carl Drews, a Boulder, Colorado
resident who organized an expedition to the lake in 2002 to measure the size, depth and water chemistry. The lake remained unnamed until January 8, 2004, when the United States Board of Geographic Names officially approved the name Pacific Tarn for the lake.
Tarn (lake)
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier. A moraine may form a natural dam below a tarn. A corrie may be called a cirque.The word is derived from the Old Norse word tjörn meaning pond...
is a small lake
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,...
located in the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is notable for its 13,420 foot (4,090 m) elevation, making it the highest lake in the United States whose name is recognized by the United States Board on Geographic Names
United States Board on Geographic Names
The United States Board on Geographic Names is a United States federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the U.S. government.-Overview:...
.
The lake sits atop the broad eastern ridge of Pacific Peak in the Tenmile Range
Tenmile Range
The Tenmile Range is a mountain range in U.S. state of Colorado. The range is an extension of the Mosquito Range which is part of the Rocky Mountains. The two ranges are effectively the same range. They are split only by the Continental Divide and name. The Tenmile Range is on the west side of...
.
Efforts to name the lake were spearheaded by Carl Drews, a Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
resident who organized an expedition to the lake in 2002 to measure the size, depth and water chemistry. The lake remained unnamed until January 8, 2004, when the United States Board of Geographic Names officially approved the name Pacific Tarn for the lake.