Soda Lake at The Carrizo Plain EarthCache
Soda Lake at The Carrizo Plain
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Parking area: N35° 14.503 W119° 54.447. Hard dirt path about 1/4 mile leads to boardwalk. Both path and boardwalk are flat and an easy, breezy walk.
The Carrizo Plain is the only closed basin in the southern Coast Ranges; all the other valleys have drainage to the sea. Soda Lake receives the water discharge from the Carrizo and accumulates sediment derived from the basin. Geologic evidence suggests that the runoff from the plain and flanking mountain ranges once joined San Juan Creek and reached the Pacific through the Salinas River. Tectonic warping of the Carrizo cut off the connection to San Juan Creek at some time after the last glacial maximum (~10,000 years ago). Since then wind blown and water laid sediment have accumulated in the basin; their type, chemistry, and amount directly reflecting the prevailing climate. Cores of sediment taken from Soda Lake can reveal this unique record of climatic and tectonic history. Logging Requirements: As a result of seismic activity two ridges rise sharply from the plain. As you look across Soda Lake name the 2 hills that you see. What type of sediment has accumulated in the basin? Name one. Extra credit: If you have binoculars and it is migrating season, what birds do you see out on the lake?
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