Death Valley's Lake Is Vanishing Again

An extremely rare temporary lake that formed in Death Valley is now closed to boating after just two weeks.

The temporary body of water, dubbed Lake Manly, formed last August following Tropical Storm Hilary. It then became deeper last month after torrential rains hit parts of California. It is very rare for a lake to form in this location, as Death Valley is one of the hottest places on Earth and rarely sees much rainfall. A lake pops up only when the valley's Badwater Basin gains enough water to flood.

This year the lake reached enough depth that it was opened to the public for kayaking and boating. However, it was short-lived. The lake is now closed to boaters because the water has dissipated, the National Park Service said in a statement.

California's recent atmospheric rivers, which unleashed enough rainfall to fill the temporary lake, appeared at the beginning of February, with several others following until the beginning of this month. However, the most recent storms hit higher elevations, meaning Death Valley was not affected.

"[Lake Manly] formed after remnants of Hurricane Hilary on August 20, 2023, but was only a shallow reflecting pool," the Park Service's statement said. "An atmospheric river February 4-7, 2024 added additional water, raising the level back to a foot (0.3 m) deep in some places. Then intense winds from February 29 through March 2 blew the lake to the north, spreading it out, resulting in shallower water."

The statement said that the lake is "too shallow and too far from the road to transport and launch watercraft without damaging the landscape. Therefore, it is now closed to boating."

Badwater Basin, where the temporary lake formed, lies about 30 miles west of Las Vegas. It is 282 feet below sea level, which means it is susceptible to flooding when there is enough precipitation.

However, it receives a minuscule 2 inches of rain a year. It holds the record for the highest air temperature ever recorded on the planet, 134 degrees F, recorded on July 10, 1913.

This made the lake an anomaly that many visitors were able to enjoy, particularly for kayaking and boating.

Following the rainfall in February, Death Valley National Park posted an update to its Facebook page, where it said it was "fully embracing" a "water era."

"After reviewing the feedback, we decided to keep the lake on Badwater Basin. You all seem to really like it, and honestly after the recent rain we had no choice," the update said.

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