Squall Over Lake Abert, Oregon
September 29, 2016
Photographer: Stu Witmer
Summary Author: Stu Witmer
Lake Abert is one of the largest lakes in Oregon and the state's only saltwater lake. It has no outflow, so the waters that collect here become quite alkaline and salty. This makes it a perfect habitat for brine shrimp (Artemia salina). So much so that the lake is a major stopover for migratory birds including Snowy Plover that also nest in the area. During the end of the Pleistocene epoch, this part of Oregon was an enormous freshwater lake. The last high water period occurred About 13,000 years ago. Colonel John James Abert, for whom the lake was named, was chief of the Army's Corps of Topographical Engineers. The rainsquall on the right of this photo moved slowly across the lake as I watched. Abert Rim is on the left. The mountains in the distance are most likely the northern reaches of the Warner Mountains.
Photo Details: Camera Maker: NIKON; Camera Model: NIKON E570; Focal Length: 34.7 mm (35mm equivalent: 136 mm); Aperture: f/7.7;Exposure Time: 0.001 sec (1/741); ISO equiv: 200.