Lake Abert - Lake Environment

Lake Environment

Lake Abert is an endorheic body of water that occupies the eastern arm of pluvial Lake Chewaucan basin. The lake has an elongated triangular shape. It is approximately 15 miles (24 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km) wide at the south end of the lake, growing to 7 miles (11 km) wide at the north end. In total, the lake covers approximately 57 square miles (150 km2). Despite its size, the lake’s maximum depth is only 11 feet (3.4 m). Its average depth is 7 feet (2.1 m).

The east side of Lake Abert is bounded by Abert Rim, a steep escarpment that rises over 2,500 feet (760 m) above the lake surface. The lake is bordered on the west by a long ridge called Coligan Buttes and on the north by the Coleman Hills. The lake’s only year-around source of fresh water comes from the Chewaucan River, which flows into the lake from the south.

The Lake Abert drainages area covers 820 square miles (2,100 km2). The environment in the Abert drainage basin is semi-arid. Most of the precipitation in the area occurs as snowfall during the winter months, and the Chewaucan River system is fed primarily by seasonal snowmelt. The lake’s only other source of fresh water are summer thundershowers that produce a small amount of runoff from Abert Rim. Because the lake has no outlet, it has developed a high concentrations of sodium carbonates, common salt, and alkali in its water. Crystallized mineral crusts on rocks along the lakeshore can be several inches thick. Some mineral deposits are evident on boulders 300 feet (91 m) above the present lake surface.