Ancient lake returns to Death Valley after rare record rainfall
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An ancient lake in California’s Death Valley National Park that disappeared thousands of years ago has made a rare comeback after the area was drenched by record rainfall.
According to the National Park Service’s Dec. 4 statement, recent storms have turned Badwater Basin, which is 72 meters below sea level and is the lowest point on the continent, into a shallow lake.
More than 100,000 years ago, the basin, commonly known as Lake Manly, was a vast Ice Age lake that once stretched 100 miles and went 600 feet deep.
Huge lake dries up as climate warms The Los Angeles Times reported.
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Badwater Basin, where Lake Manly is located, shows the lake retreating due to evaporation near Furnace Creek, California, on April 23, 2024. (George Rose/Getty Images)
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But after months of unusually violent storms, the ancient lake bed once again filled with water.
Between September and December, Death Valley received 2.41 inches of rain, including a record-setting 1.76 inches in November alone, according to the National Park Service.
“These fall storms brought more rain than Death Valley generally receives in an entire year,” the National Park Service said.
People walk on the salt flats around the Badwater Basin, home to Lake Manly, near Furnace Creek, Calif., April 23, 2024. (George Rose/Getty Images)
Lake Manly last resurfaced in 2023, when Hurricane Hilary dumped 2.2 inches of rain on Death Valley. In February 2024, an atmospheric river delivered another 1½ inches of water, deepening the basin enough for people to canoe, the LA Times reported.
The National Park Service noted that the current lake is “much smaller and shallower than the lake that formed after the remnants of Hurricane Hilary passed through the park.”
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Kayakers paddle on Lake Manly in Death Valley National Park, California. (Bridget Bennett for Washington Post via Getty Images)
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According to the LA Times, an employee at the Death Valley Inn stated that business has increased by 20% to 30% since the lake’s reappearance, although it is not very deep.
“It looks more like a very, very large riverbed with no flow, maybe a shallow pool,” the employee told the LA Times.
