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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 2016)
6 Wednesday, July 13, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Commentary... Unfolding mysteries at Lost Lake By Brent McGregor Correspondent Years ago I heard stories of large fish that lived just west of Santiam Pass in one of over 19 lakes in Oregon that harbor the name Lost Lake. Perhaps this is the most fitting lake for the name because it nearly vanishes from sight every year. The water migrates down through cracks in the ground causing the lake to empty out each summer. Even so, I wanted to see for myself if the fish story held any bait. With a snor- kel and mask, I surveyed the lake for fish, pulling myself through marshy areas of the lake searching for hid- den trout. After a few passes around the lake with no luck I gave up my search, only to find my body covered in leeches as I left the water. I haven’t been swimming there since. Last year a set of myste- rious sink holes in the lake gained media interest. Each year the majority of water from the lake drains down through sinkholes and disap- pears. Several reports specu- late that the water empties into a lava tube beneath the lake, and likely finds its way to Clear Lake in due time. But some see a different possibility. Matt Skeels, a knowl- edgeable caver from Bend, reports, “There is no lava flow that flowed into Lost Lake and ALSO flowed out in any quantity that allows for the creation of lava tubes, especially on what appears to be the wrong end of the lake (the northeast end). It’s very likely this is a ‘pothole’ as seen in Central Oregon’s Potholes Flow and others, where you have portions of the lava not inflating and cre- ating collapse-like structures. These holes are great for draining water should it come to settle thousands of years later, just like it does now at Lost Lake.” photo by brent mcGreGor Mysterious sinkholes drain the waters of lost lake. Try our Famous Fish & Chips! SOUP OF THE DAY July 13th - July 19th Wed ....................Chicken & Rice Thurs ..........Tomato Gorgonzola Fri ....Clam Chowder & Vegetable Sat...................Cream of Broccoli Connect with us for great specials! Sun ................ Chicken Vegetable Mon ...................................Lentil Tues .................Beefy Mushroom Orders to go welcome Breakfast & lunch 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nightly dining until 10 p.m. (21 & over) 171 W. Cascade Ave., Sisters | 541-549-2631 photo by kara mickaelson Brent McGregor explores a sinkhole in lost lake. One can easily see by crawling down into the sink- holes that they are not made of lava, the walls are lake-bed sediment. It is more likely that the water is filtering through cracks and fissures too small for a human body to pass through. That is, after the first few feet. Arhreev Bauvnav, an active caver in Washington state, stopped by Lost Lake last year and once inside the first sinkhole that most people visit, found a way to crawl through a very tight passage that led beneath the lake approximately 45 feet, at which time the passage became too tight to follow. What he found, besides lots of frogs and newts, were a few side passages filled with sand, curves and bends in the pas- sage and areas blowing strong air, an indication of more pas- sage beyond the blockage. On a recent visit to the lake, July 5, 2016, I found the first sinkhole was dry. There was a very good rea- son for this: a new sinkhole has appeared about 20 feet beyond the old sinkhole. The new hole measures four feet wide and over 10 feet long. It appears the side nearest the bank covered with grass Quality Truck-mounted CARPET CLEANING Quality Cleaning 16 years in Reasonable Prices Sisters! — Credit Cards Accepted — ENVIROTECH 541-771-5048 Licensed • Bonded • Insured • CCB#181062 RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL collapsed into the new hole, opening up a new drain. The water is flowing directly back toward the old sink in line with Arhreev’s sketch map and obviously following the same drainage. The mystery at Lost Lake continues as more questions appear on the horizon. But for now, the lake is completing its annual cycle as the water washes down the drain. SISTERS GARAGE DOORS Sales • Service • Installation Residential • Commercial Door & Opener Tune-Up - $89 Dale Lester CCB#151832 541-815-1523