| Lake Abert is the third-largest saline body of water in North America. Brine shrimp in the lake provide the food supply for a number of bird species. Such species include Eared Grebes, Wilson's Phalaropes, and Red-necked Phalaropes during fall migration. Lake Abert is a remnant of what was once a much larger lake thousands of years ago when the climate provided far more moisture. It lies in a basin which has no outlet and as a result, the mineral salts which dissolved into the larger prehistoric lake have been concentrated in Lake Abert. It was discovered by Lt. John Fremont and his party while searching for the mythical Buena Ventura River that was thought to flow from Klamath Lake into San Francisco Bay. The Rim is a striking formation, extending for 19 miles along the edge of Lake Abert. It rises 2,000 feet above the plateau with an 800 foot lava cap that ends in a sheer precipice. The scarp is practically a perfect fault, and one of the highest fault scarps in the world. Fremont named the lake and rim after his commanding officer, Colonel J.J. Abert. |
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