536:
297:
93:
359:
twenty miles farther north, and goes on south into Sonoma, turning west to the
Pacific. The older Indians tell of a time in the days that were, when the waters of the Blue Lakes, and probably of Clear lake also, pursued this path to the ocean. At present the drainage line is almost due east, by way of Cache Creek and the Sacramento River. The Indians say that the ridge was raised after three days of earthquake. The whole district shows evidences of volcanic action, and has many singular geological features and numerous mineral springs."
415:
380:
46:
63:
473:, Oklahoma, into the Blue Lakes and Clear Lake in 1967 to test its effectiveness in controlling the Clear Lake gnat and chironomid midges. About 6,000 fish were released in Upper Blue Lake and 3,000 in Lower Blue Lake and Clear Lake. Within a year the silversides were abundant in Lower Blue Lake and Clear Lake. They have since been widely distributed in California through experimental introductions by the Department of Fish and Game, illegal introductions by bait fishermen and dispersal via man-made waterways.
406:
plentiful game, including deer, rabbits, quail and pigeons. Resorts in 1892 included Laurel Dell, a Swiss cottage on a grassy flat on the lower lake with smaller corrages around it, the Blue Lakes Hotel, with a hotel and several pretty cottages, where the upper lake flowed into the lower in a lawn-like expanse of grassland with clumps of gnarled and moss-covered oak, and Le
Trianon, a very prettily situated hotel at the upper end of the upper lake.
392:
bottom of the narrow canyon, whose sides come down almost precipitously to the water's edge. They are said to be very deep. I estimated the lower one to be a little less than a mile in length, with a maximum width of perhaps a quarter of a mile. The two upper lakes are probably each of them from half to three quarters of a mile in length, and as already stated, are connected so as to form in reality a single sheet of water.
100:
70:
401:
there any outlet except in the rainy season, when the short mountain torrents cause them to overflow, across a low neck of land, into a small lake, Tulé, and so on into Clear Lake. Springs in the bottom of the lakes doubtless supply them, and they are heavily stocked with speckled trout, perch, "silver-sides," and other species of fish.
400:
The Blue Lakes are two of the most charming lakes in the State. They lie at the bottom of a long, deep valley which rises with almost precipitous sides from the water; intense blue is surrounded by the perpetual green of the dark coniferous forest about them. No streams flow into these lakes, nor is
258:
comprises the upper northwest section of the Cache Creek basin. They are at an elevation of 1,358 feet (414 m). Upper Blue Lake is about 1,361 feet (415 m) above sea level, covers about 55 acres (22 ha) and contains about 3,960 acre-feet (4,880,000 m) of water. Lower Blue Lake is
391:
I observe first, that the canyon itself is very deep, its sides also being very steep; it is furthermore very narrow. The Blue Lakes themselves are usually called three in number, although the two upper ones are connected by a narrow strait. They are beautiful little sheets of water lying in the
552:
are a short drive away. There are campsites and more upscale lodgings for longer stays.. There is a speed limit of 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) on the lakes. Visitors can swim or fish in the lakes, or use kayaks, canoes or paddle boards. Apart from bass and bluegill, the waters are regularly
358:
An 1891 account gave more detail: "At the head of the upper lake, just on the western line of the county, is a break in the mountain line which encloses Lake County like the rim of a basin. On the west of this gap Cold Creek heads, and flows down to
Russian River, which comes from Potter Valley,
405:
A mineral springs resort was founded at Blue Lakes, visited both by the sick for cures and by the wealthy and fashionable as summer resorts. The Blue Lakes Hotel could accommodate 40-50 guests, and had a white sulphur spring on its 320 acres (130 ha) grounds. The neighboring forests had
967:
A Memorial and
Biographical History of Northern California, Illustrated: Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the Earliest Period of Its Occupancy...and Biographical Mention of Many of Its Most Eminent Pioneers and Also of Prominent Citizens of
586:
on the edge of the Clear Lake valley, then turns northwest to run past the Blue Lakes at an elevation of 1,358 feet (414 m) and through the valley that holds Cold Creek in its northwest end. The highway then turns southwest down the Coyote Valley to
448:
The original Pomo people of the region know of a legend that a monster fish, or water dragon, lived in the Upper Blue Lake, and therefore never camped close to the lake. In the 1870s the newspapers reported various sightings of this monster. Clear Lake
284:. The upper two lakes are connected by a wide channel, and are known collectively as Blue Lake or Upper Blue Lake. The settlement of Midlakes lies between Blue Lake and Lower Blue Lake, which is connected by a short channel to Scotts Creek.
553:
stocked with rainbow trout. Upper Blue Lake is the more popular, since the colder water supports excellent trout and bass fishing, but both lakes hold very large bass. A 12 pounds (5.4 kg) bass has been weighed on a certified scale.
457:
are endemic to Clear Lake, Lower Blue Lake and Upper Blue Lake. Its populations seem to have dropped to very low levels in Clear Lake and they are probably absent from Lower Blue Lake, but they are still common in Upper Blue Lake.
370:
once drained into
Russian River by way of Cold Creek, but in recent prehistorical times a large landslide formed a ridge that diverted these waters to Clear Lake. This could account for the relatively mature profile of Cold Creek.
233:
basin. In the 19th and early 20th centuries there were several resorts around the lakes. Their waters have been highly altered by human activity and most of their native fish are lost, but they have a healthy population of
1177:
344:
591:
at an elevation of 737.5 feet (224.8 m), which drains into
Russian River. The Blue Lakes would have drained along the valley that holds this section of State Route 20 before it was blocked.
422:
The Blue Lakes today are highly altered and have lost the majority of their native fishes. They are surrounded by housing which reduces shoreline habitat and contributes pollutants. In 2019
532:). Of 376 fish caught, 342 were largemouth bass, followed by bluegill (12), common carp (11), green sunfish (9), and one specimen each of brown bullhead, prickly sculpin and rainbow trout.
320:
and the
Russian River. At some time in the last 10,000 years a landslide at the west end of the Blue Lakes blocked this outlet, the lake rose again, and created its present outlet via
1186:
351:. Then there was a great earthquake and a huge landslide blocked the flow out of Clear Lake. The land was forced up, and Clear Lake began to drain to the east through
1068:
Health
Seekers', Tourists' and Sportsmen's Guide to the Sea-side, Lake-side, Foothill, Mountain and Mineral Spring Health and Pleasure Resorts of the Pacific Coast
426:
was detected in the Blue Lakes, but later tests showed no sign of the toxin, so warning signs were removed in
January 2020. Lower Blue Lake, like Clear Lake, is
139:
977:
573:
had been developed, wrote of the blockage being caused by a landslide rather than by the ridge being raised up as described by the
Northern Pomo.
355:. This is plausible, since there have been tectonic events in the region and Clear Lake is 600 feet (180 m) higher than the Ukiah Valley.
1203:
1263:
1369:
1006:
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321:
247:
92:
1344:
340:
317:
997:
62:
476:
A general survey of fish along the shoreline of Upper Blue Lake was conducted in June 2014. Fish collected included
312:. When it was formed about 600,000 years ago it drained east into the Sacramento Valley. About 200,000 years ago the
260:
1002:
1159:
992:
583:
316:
blocked its outlet. The lake rose until it found a new outlet, draining west through the Blue Lakes into
535:
1098:
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218:
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285:
277:
222:
178:
1013:
336:
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125:
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watershed, but a recent geological upheaval cut them off from that basin and they now drain via
251:
1132:
1066:
1047:
965:
1334:
1245:
363:
171:
1336:
Sprouting Valley: Historical Ethnobotany of the Northern Pomo from Potter Valley, California
870:
445:
less than 2 metres (6 ft 7 in). Upper Blue Lake, in contrast, is clear and cool.
1115:
549:
1222:
296:
8:
266:
The Blue Lakes as a whole have a length of about 3 miles (4.8 km) and a breadth of
1340:
1305:
462:
414:
1309:
1298:
Watson, E.B.; Pendleton, R.L. (1919), "Soil Survey of the Ukiah Area, California",
735:
665:
663:
379:
305:
230:
35:
1280:
1185:, Middle Creek Coordinated Resource Management and Planning Group, archived from
570:
517:
493:
450:
327:
The gradual mountain pass between Cold Creek basin and Upper Blue Lake is called
235:
1202:
876:
660:
539:
The Le Trianon Resort sign at the Blue Lakes in Upper Lake, California in 2023.
906:
882:
588:
525:
276:
mile (0.80 km). They form a line running in a northeast direction down to
255:
185:
45:
1029:
675:
1363:
1316:
848:
846:
509:
501:
332:
154:
141:
582:
A Google terrain map of the region shows State Route 20 runs southwest from
453:
are only found in Clear Lake and in Upper and Lower Blue lakes. Clear Lake
442:
858:
843:
250:
watershed in northwestern Lake County, about 7 miles (11 km) west of
648:
477:
470:
1279:
741:
454:
423:
1204:"Officials: No further detection of anatoxin from algae in Blue Lakes"
172:
427:
1315:
918:
681:
485:
431:
1081:
964:
912:
888:
783:
669:
217:, set in a deep canyon. At one time they seem to have been in the
942:
1223:"A List of the Freshwater and Anadromous Fishes of California"
1028:
654:
1097:
864:
852:
1221:
Shapovalov, Leo; Cordone, Almo I.; Dill, William A. (1981),
771:
1302:, vol. 16, United States Bureau of Soils, p. 2636
1137:, Department of Conservation, Division of Mines and Geology
699:
831:
819:
304:
The Clear Lake basin lies between the watersheds of the
979:
The ethno-geography of the Pomo and neighboring Indians
711:
687:
339:
once drained west through the Blue Lakes, then through
1287:, Mendocino County Inland Water & Power Commission
1262:
807:
789:
759:
747:
621:
1220:
1120:, State of California Department of Fish and Wildlife
1103:, State of California Department of Fish and Wildlife
1087:, State of California Department of Fish and Wildlife
1012:
948:
924:
795:
1030:"Blue Lakes, Lake County, California, United States"
877:
Officials: No further detection of anatoxin ... 2020
638:
636:
611:
609:
607:
723:
930:
300:Valley holding Cold Creek (NW) and Blue Lakes (SE)
633:
604:
263:is Csb : Warm-summer Mediterranean climate.
1361:
894:
259:shallower and covers 53 acres (21 ha). The
132:
1297:
777:
387:An 1890 account by the State Mineralogist said,
383:Blue Lakes ca1910 by Michael Rieder (1868-1949)
1281:"Timeline: The Russian River: Earliest Times"
288:runs along the northeast shore of the lakes.
27:
991:
742:Timeline: The Russian River: Earliest Times
627:
418:Map of the lakes, Scotts Creek to the south
1175:
1064:
825:
717:
705:
693:
1306:Soil Survey of the Ukiah Area, California
1007:United States Department of the Interior
534:
413:
378:
295:
1300:Field Operations of the Bureau of Soils
1018:, Lake County Chamber of Commerce, 2016
975:
765:
682:Way: Blue Lake (47506174) OpenStreetMap
1362:
1250:Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine
1157:
1130:
1048:"Through Lake County in a six-in-hand"
1045:
913:Clear Lake prickly sculpin ... Cal DFW
889:Clear Lake prickly sculpin ... Cal DFW
837:
801:
670:A Memorial and Biographical History...
642:
213:are a string of two or three lakes in
1332:
1243:
1160:"Blue Lakes offers excellent fishing"
1145:Odd, Old News: The Blue Lakes Monster
1113:
936:
813:
753:
729:
615:
335:. They have a legend that water from
291:
1141:
900:
366:(1907) the waters of Blue Lakes and
16:Lakes in Lake County, California, US
1176:Lundquist, Erica (February 2010b),
1117:Upper Blue Lake General Fish Survey
998:Geographic Names Information System
925:Shapovalov, Cordone & Dill 1981
569:Holway, writing before the idea of
13:
655:Blue Lakes, Lake County ... Mindat
99:
69:
14:
1381:
1179:Middle Creek Watershed Assessment
1158:Knight, Terry (4 February 2020),
865:Clear Lake tule perch ... Cal DFW
853:Clear Lake tule perch ... Cal DFW
409:
1370:Lakes of Lake County, California
1134:Report of the State Mineralogist
1054:, Californian Publishing Company
971:, Lewis publishing Company, 1891
331:, or "mountain fell-in", by the
98:
91:
68:
61:
44:
1046:Brooke, George Charles (1892),
1003:United States Geological Survey
976:Barrett, Samuel Alfred (1908),
576:
563:
374:
1333:Welch, James R. (2013-05-10),
1244:Shinn, Charles Howard (1891),
1065:Chittenden, Newton H. (1884),
1:
543:
435:
261:Köppen climate classification
112:Show map of the United States
1264:"State Route 20 terrain map"
598:
50:Blue Lakes, California, 1892
7:
1339:, Society of Ethnobiology,
1317:"Way: Blue Lake (47506174)"
778:Watson & Pendleton 1919
548:Residents of Upper Lake or
441:, and fairly turbid with a
241:
10:
1386:
1114:Ewing, Ben (Spring 2014),
1084:Clear Lake prickly sculpin
957:
790:State Route 20 terrain map
396:An 1891 description said,
246:The Blue Lakes are in the
1142:Kemp, Kym (4 July 2019),
1131:Irelan, W.M. Jr. (1890),
949:Blue Lakes Lake County CC
324:to the Sacramento River.
314:Clear Lake Volcanic Field
286:California State Route 20
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43:
26:
21:
556:
155:39.170398°N 123.011340°W
1164:Lake Country Record-Bee
362:According to Professor
215:Lake County, California
203:1,358 feet (414 m)
126:Lake County, California
1252:, A. Roman and Company
1246:"The California Lakes"
540:
469:) was introduced from
419:
403:
394:
384:
301:
160:39.170398; -123.011340
82:Show map of California
28:
1285:Potter Valley Project
1100:Clear Lake tule perch
538:
498:Micropterus salmoides
417:
398:
389:
382:
364:Ruliff Stephen Holway
299:
1227:Ca/If. Fish and Game
280:, which drains into
840:, pp. 325–326.
506:Oncorhynchus mykiss
490:Lepomis macrochirus
151: /
541:
530:Ameiurus nebulosus
420:
385:
302:
292:Geological changes
1346:978-0-9887330-2-2
1210:, 23 January 2020
816:, pp. 12–13.
756:, pp. 13–14.
708:, pp. 11–12.
514:Lepomis cyanellus
467:Menidia beryllina
463:inland silverside
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206:
200:Surface elevation
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306:Sacramento River
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231:Sacramento River
174:
173:Primary outflows
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1074:
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1057:
1055:
1052:The Californian
1038:
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1021:
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826:Chittenden 1884
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796:
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718:Lundquist 2010b
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704:
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694:Lundquist 2010b
692:
688:
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628:Blue Lakes USGS
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614:
605:
601:
596:
595:
581:
577:
571:plate tectonics
568:
564:
559:
546:
518:prickly sculpin
494:largemouth bass
482:Cyprinus carpio
451:prickly sculpin
438:
412:
377:
294:
272:
268:
267:
244:
236:largemouth bass
188: countries
159:
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5:
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1313:
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1260:
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1218:
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1173:
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1111:
1095:
1079:
1071:, C.A. Murdock
1062:
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973:
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956:
954:
953:
941:
929:
917:
905:
893:
881:
869:
857:
842:
830:
828:, p. 197.
818:
806:
804:, p. 247.
794:
782:
770:
768:, p. 129.
758:
746:
734:
722:
710:
698:
686:
674:
672:, p. 147.
659:
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632:
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594:
593:
589:Lake Mendocino
575:
561:
560:
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555:
545:
542:
526:brown bullhead
411:
410:Water and fish
408:
376:
373:
329:Da-no lokj'tam
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290:
256:drainage basin
243:
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1321:OpenStreetMap
1318:
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1308: at the
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1265:
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1242:
1232:
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1209:
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1201:
1192:on 2021-05-17
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974:
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945:
938:
933:
927:, p. 16.
926:
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878:
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861:
854:
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791:
786:
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767:
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750:
743:
738:
732:, p. 21.
731:
726:
720:, p. 12.
719:
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702:
696:, p. 11.
695:
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678:
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579:
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554:
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533:
531:
527:
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519:
515:
511:
510:green sunfish
507:
503:
502:rainbow trout
499:
495:
491:
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483:
479:
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468:
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459:
456:
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444:
434:with a pH of
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429:
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416:
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402:
397:
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388:
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372:
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365:
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356:
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349:Russian River
346:
345:Coyote Valley
342:
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334:
333:Northern Pomo
330:
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311:
310:Russian River
307:
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136:
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54:
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37:
30:
25:
20:
1350:, retrieved
1335:
1324:, retrieved
1320:
1299:
1289:, retrieved
1284:
1271:, retrieved
1267:
1254:, retrieved
1249:
1235:, retrieved
1230:
1226:
1212:, retrieved
1207:
1194:, retrieved
1187:the original
1178:
1167:, retrieved
1163:
1149:, retrieved
1144:
1133:
1122:, retrieved
1116:
1105:, retrieved
1099:
1089:, retrieved
1083:
1073:, retrieved
1067:
1056:, retrieved
1051:
1037:, retrieved
1033:
1020:, retrieved
1014:
996:
993:"Blue Lakes"
983:, retrieved
978:
966:
944:
939:, p. 8.
932:
920:
915:, p. 7.
908:
896:
891:, p. 2.
884:
872:
867:, p. 4.
860:
855:, p. 1.
833:
821:
809:
797:
785:
780:, p. 9.
773:
766:Barrett 1908
761:
749:
737:
725:
713:
701:
689:
677:
650:
623:
618:, p. 2.
578:
565:
547:
529:
522:Cottus asper
521:
513:
505:
497:
489:
481:
475:
466:
460:
447:
443:Secchi depth
421:
404:
399:
395:
390:
386:
375:Surroundings
368:Scotts Creek
361:
357:
328:
326:
303:
278:Scotts Creek
265:
245:
223:Scotts Creek
210:
208:
179:Scotts Creek
29:Lagos Azules
1268:Google Maps
838:Brooke 1892
802:Irelan 1890
643:Knight 2020
478:common carp
471:Lake Texoma
353:Cache Creek
322:Cache Creek
248:Cache Creek
158: /
146:123°00′41″W
133:Coordinates
1352:2021-05-13
1326:2021-05-14
1291:2021-05-13
1273:2021-05-14
1256:2021-05-14
1237:2021-05-14
1214:2021-05-14
1196:2021-05-17
1169:2021-05-14
1151:2021-05-14
1124:2021-05-14
1107:2021-05-14
1091:2021-05-14
1075:2021-05-14
1058:2021-05-14
1039:2021-05-14
1022:2021-05-14
1015:Blue Lakes
985:2021-05-12
937:Ewing 2014
814:Shinn 1891
754:Shinn 1891
730:Welch 2013
616:Ewing 2014
544:Recreation
455:tule perch
341:Cold Creek
337:Clear Lake
318:Cold Creek
282:Clear Lake
252:Upper Lake
227:Clear Lake
211:Blue Lakes
143:39°10′13″N
106:Blue Lakes
76:Blue Lakes
22:Blue Lakes
1233:(1): 4–38
901:Kemp 2019
599:Citations
428:eutrophic
1364:Category
550:Lakeport
486:bluegill
439: 8
432:alkaline
424:anatoxin
347:and the
308:and the
254:. Their
242:Location
122:Location
958:Sources
271:⁄
229:in the
36:Spanish
1343:
1034:Mindat
524:) and
32:
1190:(PDF)
1183:(PDF)
968:Today
557:Notes
343:into
225:into
186:Basin
1341:ISBN
461:The
209:The
516:),
508:),
500:),
492:),
484:),
1366::
1319:,
1283:,
1266:,
1248:,
1231:67
1229:,
1225:,
1206:,
1162:,
1050:,
1032:,
1005:,
1001:,
995:,
845:^
662:^
635:^
606:^
436:c.
430:,
238:.
1312:)
1304:(
951:.
903:.
879:.
792:.
744:.
684:.
657:.
645:.
630:.
528:(
520:(
512:(
504:(
496:(
488:(
480:(
465:(
273:2
269:1
38:)
34:(
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