Californians can now kayak in the driest place in the US after a rare and temporary lake formed due to heavy rain.
The Badwater Basin, which sits at the bottom of Death Valley, received 4.9 inches of rain in the past six months, causing a lake to form in the bed.
The newly formed lake is informally known as Lake Manly and is approximately six miles long, three miles wide and one foot deep.
According to Death Valley National Park, 2.2 inches of rain from Hurricane Hilary in 2023 and 1.5 inches of downpour during an atmospheric river Feb. 4-7 caused the basin to fill.
On average, Death Valley receives about two inches of downpour each year.
The Badwater Basin, which sits at the bottom of Death Valley, received 4.9 inches of rain in the past six months, which is more than double the average amount of precipitation the Valley receives annually.
The lake is only deep enough for kayaking for a couple of weeks, but park rangers believe the shallow lake will still create beautiful reflections during April.
The newly formed lake is informally known as Lake Manly and is approximately six miles long, three miles wide and one foot deep.
The lake is only deep enough to kayak for a couple of weeks, but park rangers believe the shallow body of water will still create beautiful reflections through April.
The videos show that visitors can walk a few inches across the lake and touch the basin.
Ranger Abby Wines saying: ‘You would think that without drainage to the sea, Death Valley would always have a lake.
‘But this is an extremely rare event. Normally, the amount of water flowing is much less than the evaporation rate.
‘The lake was deep enough to kayak for a few weeks after Hurricane Hilary, but unfortunately people couldn’t come and enjoy it then.
‘All roads in the park were damaged by flash flooding and it took two months to open the first road into the park. Most of the main roads are open now, so it’s a good time to come and visit!’
Lake Manly was named after an ancient lake of the same name that evaporated tens of thousands of years ago.
The videos show that visitors can walk a few inches across the lake and touch the basin.
Images released by NASA, which are in false color to ’emphasize the presence of water in shades of blue’, show the transformation of the area between July 5, 2023 and February 14, 2024.
The dry salt flat basin is located 282 feet below sea level, making it the lowest elevation in North America.
The images released by NASA, which are in false color to ’emphasize the presence of water in shades of blue’, show the transformation of the area between July 5, 2023 and February 14, 2024.
The dry salt flat basin is located 282 feet below sea level, making it the lowest elevation in North America.
Park officials have advised visitors to stay safe and asked ppeople to walk on established trails.
According to SFGate, Lake Manly was named after an ancient lake of the same name that evaporated tens of thousands of years ago.
Before 2023, the lake was last seen in 2005.