| Lake Owyhee, created by a dam on the Owyhee River, offers boaters an extraordinary view of Miocene volcanism (about 15 million years ago). Ash from that time preserved plant and animal fossils that show a much wetter climate. Rhinoceroses lived next to ancestral horses, deer and antelope. The off-white ash layers, pinkish-gray rhyolite, and dark colored basalt create a colorful palette. The Owyhee Uplands have been uplifted to more than 4,000 feet above sea level, and the resulting stream erosion has produced the deep, narrow, winding canyons seen in the area today. The Owyhee volcanic field includes several calderas, such as at Grassy Mountain and Mahogany Mountain, that are large collapse features better recognized by the distribution of specific types of volcanic rocks rather than by present day topography. Many visitors like to enjoy fishing for rainbow trout and other water activities within this lake. Such activities include jet skiing, water skiing, swimming, boating, and canoeing. |
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