Waldo Lake

Waldo Lake was effectively isolated from human activity until the late 1800s, when it appeared on a map prepared by the Surveyor-General of Oregon dated August 24, 1863. The U.S. Forest Service granted permission to A.R. Black for the construction of a canal on the lake’s natural outlet in 1905; Black later sold the rights to the project to F.N. Ray and Simon Klovdahl in 1908. Ray and Klovdahl intended to monopolize water rights to the entire Willamette Valley using their newly formed Waldo Lake Irrigation and Power Company. Projecting to supply enough water to irrigate 100,000 acres of farmland and to generate 40,000 “horsepowers” of energy, Ray and Klovdahl would’ve had a significant effect impact on the economic, social, and ecological status of the Willamette Valley had they succeeded. Financial and logistic difficulties led to the demise of the project in 1914, but not before the Klovdahl Tunnel was constructed on the lake’s southwestern edge. The tunnel has since been deemed a Natural Historic Place, and stands as a reminder of the first entrepreneurs set on manipulating the lake’s natural processes.

The Forest Service took jurisdiction over the Waldo Lake area in 1934; investigations of the lake’s limnological properties began shortly thereafter. A 13-mile-long paved road between Highway 58 and Waldo opened in 1969; since then, the number of visitors to the area has increased from a few hundred in 1967 to 170,000 in 1994.

Waldo stretches 9.6 km in length and 2.65 km in width, giving it a total surface area of roughly 26 km² and making it the second largest lake in the Oregon Cascades. Its maximum depth (128 m), at its southern basin, is considerably greater than its mean depth (39 m). It is 1,650 meters above median sea level. The lake and its watershed are within the Waldo Lake Wilderness Area, and included in the Oregon Scenic Waterway system.

Acclaimed for its intense blue color and transparency, Waldo Lake is a marvel to limnologists, biologists, geologists, and the public alike. Its water is incomparably dilute, chemically similar to distilled tap water. The combined effects of having a small watershed area (barely twice that of the lake’s total area), organically poor soils, and a heavily forested boundary result in a very low amount of nutrient flow into the lake. As a consequence of having low nutrient levels, phosphorous in particular, low rates of phytoplankton production typify Waldo Lake. This feature has changed since the 1950s, as human access and use of the lake has increased.

Roughly 80 percent of the Waldo Lake watershed is forested, namely with mountain hemlock, western hemlock, lodgepole pine, western white pine, Douglas fir, noble fir, true fir, and Engelmann spruce. Mountain hemlock, true fir, and lodgepole pine dominate the immediate area surrounding the lake. Soils are organically poor, highly permeable, and less than 2 meters deep: basalt bedrock is visible at many places around the lake.

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is a well known trail that extends along the West coast of the United States, from Mexico to Canada. It passes through California, Oregon, and Washington State.

• Oakridge Hostel, 48175 East First St, Oakridge, ☏ +1 541 782-4000. The closest hostel accommodation. 30 miles from the lake. 

Waldo Lake has 3 large campgrounds. All have boat ramps, water, bathrooms, and gravel trails. They are also handicapped accessible.

• Shadow Bay Campground. Known for the bay that is the center of the campground. The bay has a sandy bottom and is good for swimming. On sunny days the water is usually a teal color and is comparable to water colors common at Caribbean beaches. 
• Islet Campground. Known for a point that extends 150 yards into the lake. There is a gravel trail out to the point where there are two benches with great views of the lake. 
• North Waldo Campground. The lake's most popular campground. This campground is close to the burn area from the 1996 Charlton fire which burned a large area on the north shore of the lake. North Waldo campground is home to the Waldo Lake Amphitheater where speakers are present about once a week during summer months.