Deep Springs Lake Ecological Reserve

Recreational Opportunities

Activities: wildlife viewing, hiking

Area History

The property consists of several patented mining claims although it is unclear to what extent the lakebed was utilized for mineral production since the nearby Owens Lake provided a better and more accessible source of evaporite minerals. It is presumed that the extensive system of levees and ditches around the lake were associated with efforts to improve the land for agriculture, primarily livestock grazing, and to control water to the lakebed for mineral production.

The area was inhabited by the Deep Springs Valley Paiute for thousands of years before Euro-American settlement in the 20th century. This small Native American group was distinct from other Northern Paiute groups in the adjacent Owens and Fish Lake valleys.

The Department acquired the property in 1979, and it was designated as an ecological reserve by the Fish and Game Commission in 2020. The primary purpose for the acquisition of Deep Spring Lake was to protect and manage habitat for black toad and western snowy plover.