Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater reservoir located in the western United States, on the border of California and Nevada. In depth, it takes the second place among all the lakes of this country and 11th place among all the lakes of the world. In the center of the lake is the small island of Fannett.
Where is Lake Tahoe located?
It is located in the western United States, in the western part of the vast Cordillera mountain system. This region belongs to the places of traditional residence of indigenous peoples - Native American tribes.
Lake Tahoe is one of the deepest in North America. It is located in a deep hollow sandwiched from the east and west by mountain ranges. The maximum depth reaches 500 m. However, along the coast there are a lot of shallow areas that are well shined by the sun. The length of the lake from north to south is 35 km, and from west to east - 19 km. The total length of the coastline is 116 km. The surface of the water is 495 square kilometers.
Despite the fact that there are motorways near this reservoir, the California part of the coastline is within the protected area under the control of the US Forest Service.
Lake history
The appearance of Lake Tahoe (California and Nevada) dates from 2 to 3 million years ago. It was formed together with a young intermountain depression in the geological fault zone. During this period, active mountain building took place. Carson Mountains rose east of the hollow, and Sierra Nevada in the west. As a result, the hollow was sandwiched between the mountain ranges, and as a result of the gradual blocking of runoff, a lake appeared there.
The appearance of a fault in the zone of the lake basin led to the appearance of high mountain peaks there, with a height of about and slightly more than 3000 meters.
The lowest part of the basin turned out to be its southern part. Filling occurred due to precipitation and melting mountain snow. Later, the ice age made adjustments to the outline of the boundaries of the reservoir formed. This happened about a million years ago.
Hydrology of a reservoir
Lake Tahoe is an integral part of the internal flow of the western United States. It is fed by a large number of rivers flowing from the mountains, and only one larger river named Truckee flows from it. It flows northeastward through the state of Nevada, flowing into the Pyramid Lake located in this state. On this river is the city of Reno.
The water in Lake Tahoe is very clear and has green and blue hues. The lake does not freeze, and in summer the water temperature does not exceed 20 °. Despite this, there are quite a lot of vacationers here.
Weather on Lake Tahoe
The climate in the lake area is not entirely continental, despite the mountain conditions. It is softened by the proximity of the Pacific Ocean. The average temperature in winter is only slightly below zero, and summers are not too hot, only up to + 25 °.
The amount of precipitation in the lake area is highly dependent on the topography and in different areas ranges from 670 mm to 1400 mm per year. Most of the precipitation falls in the form of snow in the cold season, but there are also heavy rains that can even cause flooding if they overlap during the period of active snowmelt. They can be especially strong at high altitudes. Such rains are associated with the entry of monsoons from the territory of the Great Basin.
The Lake Tahoe region is located in the zone of accelerated warming, so the proportion of liquid precipitation is increasing, and the climate is becoming hotter. This may make the lake favorable for swimming in the future.
Vegetation
Around the lake grow mountain forests, light forests, bushes and meadows. The predominant species are pine (2 species), fir (2 species) and some deciduous tree species. A significant part of the territory is covered by glacial moraines and rocks.
Soils are mostly sandy. They came from volcanic, less often from metamorphic rocks.
History of Lake Development
The original inhabitants of these places were natives. Vasho Indians lived here. They lived by the lake, as well as in the valleys of local rivers.
The first white people to see the lake were Lieutenant John Fremont and Keith Carson. This happened in 1844. The name Tahoe first appeared in 1862, but only in 1945 became the official name of the lake.
After the formation of the state of California, 2/3 of the coastline moved to it, and the remaining third was given to the state of Nevada.
Now the lake is a place of mass tourism. Roads run along it, and on its shore there are small modern towns - South Lake Tahoe, Tahoe City and State Line.
