Where Did the Lake Go?

Where Did the Lake Go? (HM1AB5)

Location: West Wendover, NV 89883 Elko County
Buy Nevada State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 40° 50.711', W 114° 12.493'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 532 views
Inscription
Imagine Lake Bonneville some 10,000 years ago as a vast lake larger than the present Great Salt Lake. Its eastern boundary would be the Wasatch Mountains at Salt Lake City and its western boundary the Toano and Goshute Mountains to your left.

The last major glacial period in North America began about 23,000 years ago. During that time the water level of Lake Bonneville rose because of colder temperatures and a wetter climate. This freshwater lake was over 1,000 feet deep and covered 51,530 square miles - an area the size of Arkansas. If you were standing in this spot 15,000 years ago, you would be more than 500 feet underwater! Pilot Peak, the pyramid shaped mountain in front of you, was merely a small island surrounded by a freshwater lake teeming with fish.

About 14,500 years ago, water rushing through a break in a natural dam along Lake Bonneville's northern shore dropped the lake level over 300 feet in just a few months! These raging floodwaters deepened the Snake River Canyon in Idaho. A warmer and drier climate over the next 5,000 years slowly caused the lake to shrink even further. Look carefully at the surrounding hills, especially east toward Wendover. You can still see the beach terraces left at the different high water marks as the lake receded. The Great Salt Lake is all that remains of this once vast lake.
Details
HM NumberHM1AB5
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Thursday, October 23rd, 2014 at 1:09pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)11T E 735355 N 4525322
Decimal Degrees40.84518333, -114.20821667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 40° 50.711', W 114° 12.493'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds40° 50' 42.66" N, 114° 12' 29.58" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)775
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 3 Pilot Rd, West Wendover NV 89883, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?