At the October 2015 meeting of the Eagle Lake Interagency Board, the Bureau of Land Management reported that Chico State University was exploring avenues to close down the facility. At that time, the Bureau of Land Management reported that they would be willing to take back the property they donated to the University back in 1964. However, they stated in order to do so, the University would have to remove all improvements, i.e, buildings etc. At the moment, from my limited knowledge on the topic, it appears everything is at a standstill, as the University does not want to be burden with the costs of removal. It also appears the Bureau of Land Management is being a difficult, not allowing another institution to intervene.

The field station was the creation of biology instructor Doctor Vesta Holt. The first classes were taught at Spaulding Tract in 1945. In the early 1950s, with increased enrollment studies were moved to the south shore at the Eagle Lake Resort. After the Merrill Flat Fire of 1955, operations were moved to Susanville and Westwood and until a new home could be located. It was not until 1964, when a new home was located just north of the abandoned Bly Tunnel and in 1968 dedication ceremonies were held at the new facility.

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At the June meeting of the Eagle Lake Interagency Board meeting it was thought that Eagle Lake would reach a new historic low water level. On August, 31, 2015, Matthew May, Associate Lassen County Planner recorded the level at 5091.16, just shy of the record low of  5091. May noted that the level had dropped 2.4 inches in the last month. Stay tuned for further developments.

Once I have an opportunity I will post some photographs of the lake’s east shore taken in the 1930s by my grandmother Lola Murrer Tanner, who was born this day in 1899 at the family ranch in Willow Creek Valley. Also the 2016 Lassen High Alumni Calendar includes a new before published record high water scene taken in 1916, which will be released in October.

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Between 1879 to 1956 there were officially twelve different exotic (non-native) species of fish planted in Eagle Lake. Yet, that figure could be higher since local anglers were known to have experimented with their own plantings.

Of all the varieties of species planted in the lake, only one truly flourished—the largemouth (black) bass. In 1901 the Lassen County Fish and Game Protective Association planted 147 bass in the lake that it had received from the California Fish & Game Commission. The following year additional bass were planted in the lake. To allow the bass to prosper the State Game Commission prohibited fishing of the bass for a period of four years. Continue reading Eagle Lake Bass →