Did the Owens River ever.....

[Sasha]

So I was sitting around and got to thinking (I know it's a dangerous thing ). Before the time of the aqueduct; did the Owen River make it out to the Pacific? Or did it just get swallowed up in the Mojave Desert? I tried looking online for the answer; however my googlefu wasn't strong enough to find the answer.

[RichardCullip]

The Owens River, before man started fooling with it, made it into Searles Lake, out in the Mojave desert near Trona. In very wet years, it could have pushed further and reached into Death Valley. Here's a short abstract that sets the geologic framework of the Owens River drainage, going back to the Miocene (about 23 million years ago).

http://specialpapers.gsapubs.org/content/439/115.abstract

[planettrout]

Ah...to have lived with a Fly Rod in hand 23 million years ago...



PT/TB

[Benny]

Check out the Microsoft Seadragon Maps This will give you an idea of where the river could have possibly flowed. I think even at it's peak flows, the river would have ended up somewhere in a desert lake or just drain into underground aquifers.

Is it possible that an underground aquifer that began at the Owens River would make it out to the ocean, why not

[Sasha]

Trona, seriously???


Based on the sat images I was looking at I would have guessed a much different path.


Thanks for the info.

[Papasequoia]

I don't know about making it to the ocean, but there are some neat things to see along the old riverbed. One place that you have all zoomed by on your way north is Fossil Falls. There is a sign for it - it's near Little Lake (the lake with all the ducks on it after you pass the big line of basalt). Lava flowed down the river bed, then water sculpted the lava. It's a pretty cool place. You can find brine shrimp in the potholes after a rainstorm. It's a short drive off of 395 to the parking area, then a five minute stroll or less to the falls. As the article I'm going to link below mentions, it is surprising to find it, because it looks like you are just walking through desert scrub, then all of a sudden there is this huge, deep gash that catches you by surprise. If you are looking for a place to stretch your legs after a long drive, this would be worth a short stop.

http://www.desertusa.com/mag07/jul07/fossil.html

[Rockstar Fisherman]

There is a sign for it - it's near Little Lake (the lake with all the ducks on it after you pass the big line of basalt). .

http://www.desertusa.com/mag07/jul07/fossil.html

What is the deal with Little Lake, the lake itself???? I know you desert rats have it fenced off for yourselves and your club but how does it exist i.e. spring, manguera?? I know this is off topic but I've been meaning to ask this for awhile.

[rkfiske]

There is a sign for it - it's near Little Lake (the lake with all the ducks on it after you pass the big line of basalt). .

http://www.desertusa.com/mag07/jul07/fossil.html

What is the deal with Little Lake, the lake itself???? I know you desert rats have it fenced off for yourselves and your club but how does it exist i.e. spring, manguera?? I know this is off topic but I've been meaning to ask this for awhile.

Lol I've been wondering about that place forever! I second the request for more info!

[fflutterffly]

How far back do you want to go? At one time the Amazon flowed to the Paific... now it flows to the Atlantic. Might have been the same for many of our eastern waters. Just a thought. I know we've got a few members who are geologist on this forum. Hope they chime in. Interesting thought. I'm always amazed at what this planet does and how fragile we little specks are.

Does anyone know how long they think it will take till we get Owens Lake back? or if we ever will, or do they plan on that?

[planettrout]

Here is some information on Little Lake...

http://articles.latimes.com/2007/nov/23/local/me-lake23

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greensp ... r-lit.html

http://www.terra-genpower.com/News/Coso ... reeme.aspx

Check out their TEAM:

http://www.terra-genpower.com/Team.aspx

They got off the same spaceship as the ALIENS - in "Independence Day"...

http://aquafornia.com/archives/18389

PT/TB

[WanderingBlues]

I don't know about making it to the ocean, but there are some neat things to see along the old riverbed. One place that you have all zoomed by on your way north is Fossil Falls. There is a sign for it - it's near Little Lake (the lake with all the ducks on it after you pass the big line of basalt). Lava flowed down the river bed, then water sculpted the lava. It's a pretty cool place. You can find brine shrimp in the potholes after a rainstorm. It's a short drive off of 395 to the parking area, then a five minute stroll or less to the falls. As the article I'm going to link below mentions, it is surprising to find it, because it looks like you are just walking through desert scrub, then all of a sudden there is this huge, deep gash that catches you by surprise. If you are looking for a place to stretch your legs after a long drive, this would be worth a short stop.

http://www.desertusa.com/mag07/jul07/fossil.html

Very much worth the stop! I'd also point out that if you look closely, you'll see obsidian chips and shards all over. There's no obsidian locally. It was traded for by native tribes and this happen to be one of the spots where tools and weapons were fashioned.

[Benny]

Stopped at Fossil Falls many times. Although the last time I visited, I was disgusted with all the trash someone had left behind. It's definitely quite a unique place to visit, and a scorcher in the summer months.

[Papasequoia]

What is the deal with Little Lake, the lake itself???? I know you desert rats have it fenced off for yourselves and your club but how does it exist i.e. spring, manguera?? I know this is off topic but I've been meaning to ask this for awhile.

[This is from one of the interesting articles that PT linked}: The report predicts that the Coso Geothermal Plant’s plan to extract 4,800 acre feet of water per year from the aquifer and construct a nine-mile pipeline could have a significant impact on Little Lake Ranch, a 1,200-acre retreat on spring-fed wetlands adjacent to U.S. Highway 395 and east of the Sierra’s tallest peaks.

...

That’s not good enough for opponents led by the 50-year-old hunting club, made up mostly of Southern California doctors, lawyers and business owners. Little Lake Ranch argues the project would suck Little Lake dry, wiping out foraging grounds for migrating waterfowl in a place held sacred by Native Americans and surrounded by lava cliffs festooned with vivid petroglyphs.

The club’s concerns are based, in part, on a hydrology model included in the report, which shows that the Coso project could siphon off as much as 10% of Little Lake’s water in less than a year and half.

What is the deal with Little Lake, the lake itself???? I know you desert rats have it fenced off for yourselves and your club...

One of the articles also mentioned that the current membership of this exclusive club of rich LA type people (not desert rats ) stands at 25.

Interesting articles, PT, thanks for linking them. It was worth reading them in order (2007 up to 2010) to get a good idea of the fight. Also interesting information on the source of the water there. Unfortunately the last one has a 'read further' link then won't open it. It's from January 2010 and shows that the club, which had settled earlier, was again filing a complaint. I couldn't find anything more recent during a google search so I suppose that is working its way through the courts.

[briansII]

Kinda highlights the battle for every speck of water in, or around Ca.

briansII

[Sasha]

Wasn't thinking millions of years ago or anything like that (Not curious about the river at the time of the K-T event). I was more or less wondering about the time from after the glaciers melted until just before the water was diverted to L.A.