Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuge

This refuge is one of five in the Klamath Basin, three of which are in California (see Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge). Between seventy and eighty percent of the Pacific Flyway birds pass through the Basin during migration.

The lake, which has been enlarged by damming several times since 1870, is one of the principal nesting colonies of the white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, on the continent. Other major breeding populations include California and ring-billed gulls, Larus californicus and Larus delawarensis, and Caspian terns, Hydroprogne caspia. During the migratory season hundreds of thousands of waterfowl may be seen on the refuge on any given day. Over 200 species of birds have been sighted in or near the refuge. The sage grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus, is abundant on the refuge.

The lake is an important watering spot for the prong-horn antelope, Antilocapra americana, in the area. Two endangered fish inhabit the lake, the shortnose sucker, Chasmistes brevirostris, and Lost River sucker, Catostomus luxatus. The fish here are the only known unhybridized populations of the two species.

There are some freshwater marshes with Typha sp., Scirpus sp., on the lake borders. Surrounding the lake the dominant vegetation is sagebrush scrub, with basin sagebrush, Artemisia tridentata, conspicuous. There is also a northern juniper, Juniperus occidentalis, forest present.

Geologically, the surrounding rock is primarily Quaternary basalt; however, there are some Tertiary pyroclastics on the west shore. There is also a Plio-Pleistocene cinder cone on the west shore.

A portion of the old Emigrant Trail is above the water level on the north shore.

Integrity: Dammed, the area has been utilized as a refuge since 1911. There are some roads on the refuge. The Bureau of Reclamation has jurisdiction over the regulated use of the water for irrigation purposes which, in dry spells, could pose problems for the fish populations.

Use: Research, educational, observational.

July 1976