Mystic Lake (California)

Mystic Lake
Location Riverside County, California
Coordinates 33°52′45″N 117°05′01″W / 33.87917°N 117.08361°W / 33.87917; -117.08361Coordinates: 33°52′45″N 117°05′01″W / 33.87917°N 117.08361°W / 33.87917; -117.08361
Type ephemeral
Primary inflows San Jacinto River
Primary outflows San Jacinto River
Basin countries United States

Mystic Lake is an ephemeral lake in the San Jacinto Valley of western Riverside County, California. It is located east of Lake Perris, between Moreno Valley and San Jacinto.[1]

Shrinking

Mystic Lake receding during dry times.

The lake lies within the outlet area of the San Jacinto River and is typically full only during late winter and spring when the river is flowing. In recent years, the lake has decreased from thousands of acres to under 200 acres (0.81 km2). If dry conditions persist, experts speculate that the it will dry up altogether, becoming an ephemeral lake. [2] This is a part of a cycle of flooding and receding that the lake has gone through over hundreds and thousands of years.

Juan Bautista de Anza Anza Trail

The Anza Trail passes by the lake, which was described by Juan Bautista de Anza in 1774 as "several leagues in circumference and as full of white geese as water." Anza named it Laguna de Bucareli, after Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa, the viceroy of New Spain. Much later, it became known as Mystic Lake.[3]

San Jacinto Wildlife Area

The lake is adjacent to the 9,000–acre San Jacinto Wildlife Area,[4] which is owned and managed by the California Department of Fish and Game-DFG and open to the public. It features restored wetlands and wildlife habitat. Mystic Lake is a high priority acquisition area for the DFG to add to the Wildlife Area.[5] It is a popular destination for bird-watchers and hunters.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lakeview Quadrangle California, Map. United States Geological Survey, 1953, USGS Topographic Map, 7.5-Minute Series (Topographic), scale 1:24,000.
  2. ↑ "Mystic Lake likely to vanish amid dry spell". The Press Enterprise. Retrieved 2008-04-29.
  3. ↑ "Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail: Riverside County, California--Historic and Interpretive Sites". National Park Service. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
  4. ↑ http://www.dfg.ca.gov/lands/wa/region6/sanjacinto/index.html
  5. ↑ "San Jacinto Wildlife Area". California Department of Fish and Game. Archived from the original on 2007-01-23. Retrieved 2007-01-25.
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