SHAVER LAKE, CAfield assignment

Content

• Background and Research

• Location

• Shaver Lake, Ca

• Peacock

• Ponderosa pine

• Sources

Background and Research

• In November 2011, I visited Shaver Lake, it’s town, dam, and surrounding area.

• All pictures of trees, rocks, and animals are from five square miles in this area. An elevation of 5,100 feet.

• Focus: lake, tree specimen, peacock

• Currently the lake is drained to repair the massive dam. Full lake pictures are from winter 2010 and summer 2011.

Site Location

• Shaver Lake is located 50 miles northeast of Fresno, Ca., on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Ntl. Forest.

• Elevation: 5,500

Geological history of Shaver Lake, Ca

• Named after C.B. Shaver, Shaver Lake is one of 5,000 man-made lakes.

• It was started as a small millpond, with a dam, in 1893 to support a mill for logging operations.

• The original rock dam was only 50 feet high and 300 feet long.

• The mill is at the bottom of the much bigger Shaver Lake.• The newer dam was constructed 500 yards away for the

original by the Pacific Light and Power Corp., which changed it’s name to Southern Cal. Edison, in 1927. It is 170 feet tall (most houses that are currently still standing around the lake were once used for employee housing)

Geological history of Shaver Lake, Ca

• Shaver Lake is currently drained to streambed levels to repair the newer dam.

• The lake has not been drained since the dam was built in 1927.

• The original rock filled dam is now visible for the first time since the 1970’s state drought.

Lake full

Lake empty

Newer 1927 dam under repair

Peacock

• I believe this is a male Indian blue peacock or a mutation of, by the blue-green plumage on the tail.

• Native countries: Southern Asia and Maylasia

• Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavocristatus; pheasant family-Phasianidae

• Darwin suggests the peacock evolved from sexual selection

• The male is 5.9–9.8 ft with the tail open.

Ponderosa Pine

• I believe this is a Ponderosa pine or Jeffrey Pine which is the North American pine related to the Ponderosa, which is native to the area.

• Native states: Washington, California

• Needles grow in tufts

• Symbol: PIPO

• Group: Gymnosperm

• Family: Pinaceae

• Duration: Perennial

Sources

• http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/08/31/2520208/dam-maintenance-set-at-shaver.html

• http://www.gamebird.com/peacock.html

• http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PIPO&photoID=pipo_010_ahp.jpg