HARTMAN MULTIMEDIA
Nature Based Multimedia Information Systems
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HARTMAN MULTIMEDIA
Nature Based Multimedia Information Systems |
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Soda Lake is located in the lowest portions of the Carrizo Plain, a virtually flat valley nearly 72 kilometers (45 miles) long and up to 10 kilometers (6 miles) wide. The plain is unique in being the only undrained depression in the Coast Ranges. With an average annual precipitation of less than 20 centimeters (8 inches) the lake is usually wet during and shortly after the winter rainy season. The rest of the year it is dry and is encrusted with carbonate and sulfate salts, primarily sodium. Vegetation on the borders of the soda deposits, which are barren, is typically of the alkaline sink community. There are several rare plants in the area, Atriplex vallicola, Eriogonum gossypinum, and Lepidium jaredii. The rare San Joaquin kit fox, Vulpes macrotis mutica, is found here, as is the endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard, Crotaphytus wislizenii silus. During the winter, sandhill cranes, Grus canadensis, are frequently sighted in the area. Integrity: There is grazing in the vicinity. Portions of the lake were mined in the late 1800's for salt for both cattle and human consumption. There are traces of off-road vehicles on the lake, but it remains in a relatively natural condition. Early surveys (1860's) of the plains report an abundance of deer, pronghorn, and grizzly bears in a relatively lush valley. Use: Private Ref: San Joaquin Geological Society, 1962. Guidebook, Geology of the Carrizo Plains and San Andreas Fault. July 1975 San Luis ObispoInventory of California Natural Areas Revision © 2005 Steven Louis Hartman
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