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Lake Manly Returns |
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An ancient lake has reemerged in
California's Death Valley National Park following record rainfall this
year. Between 128,000 and
186,000 years ago, meltwater from ice covering the Sierra Nevada fed rivers
that emptied into Badwater Basin, North America’s lowest point at 282 feet
below sea level. The steady flow sustained Lake Manly, nearly 100 miles long
and roughly 600 feet deep. The lake disappeared as Death Valley evolved
into the driest place in North America,
with some areas receiving under two inches of rain annually. This year,
however, the park received 2.41 inches between September and November,
marking its wettest autumn on record and triggering the temporary return of a
shorter, shallower Lake Manly. Above-average rainfall
periodically brings Lake Manly back, including in 2023 when Hurricane Hilary
dumped 2.2 inches of rain on a single August day, allowing visitors to kayak (w/photos).
The steadier pace of this year’s rainfall could lead to a wildflower
superbloom, last seen in 2016 (watch video).
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