2023-07-16 05:05:00
By Robin Hartmann | Jul 16, 2023 at 7:05 am
There is a very special lake in Yellowstone National Park in the US state of Wyoming. He is not exceptionally beautiful or tall, but has one unique quality. Because its water flows into two different oceans. Isa Lake is the only natural lake on the entire planet where this phenomenon is known.
It’s safe to say that Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park is one of America’s greatest natural wonders. And in the middle of these almost 9000 square kilometers of force of nature lies a place that is unique in the world – which most visitors probably do not pay much attention to. Because Isa Lake, as the lake is called, is not particularly large or particularly beautiful. In return, he has a quality that only exists here on our entire planet.
The Isa Lake is at an altitude of 2518 meters at the so-called Craig Pass. And here in turn is the so-called continental divide. According to the site “World Atlas“ you have to imagine this phenomenon like the roof of a house. Depending on which side of the “roof” or the sheath rain falls on, it also flows off in a different direction. And that in turn makes Isa Lake so unique in the world. Because it has two outlets, and empties its water into both the Atlantic and the Pacific.
The lake flows “wrong way”
But it gets even more adventurous. For according to the side of the “US Nationalparkservice‘ Rain on the west side of the sheath usually flows toward the Pacific. If, on the other hand, there is precipitation to the east of the Divide, it eventually reaches the Atlantic via the rivers. The bizarre thing: At Isa Lake, however, this incident is exactly the other way around. The lake has two outflows, but no inflow, is fed only by rainwater and, especially in spring, by meltwater.
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When water leaves Isa Lake via its western outflow, it first enters the Firehole River. This in turn flows into the Missouri, which empties into the Mississippi. It flows on to the Gulf of Mexico and then into the Atlantic. Water that leaves the lake through the eastern outflow first lands in Shoshone Lake, also located in Yellowstone Park. This is the second largest lake in the famous nature reserve. From there it empties into the Lewis River, then the Snake River and finally the Columbia River, which reaches the Pacific.
Named following a mysterious woman
Isa Lake got its name from its discoverer Hiram Chittenden, who first encountered the lake in 1891. Loud “Condé Nast Traveller‘ the man was a US Army engineer who built many of the roads in Yellowstone Park. He named the lake following a certain Isabell Jelke from the city of Cincinnati. In a poem on the occasion of his discovery, Chittenden wrote regarding the body of water: “You have no name. Do you want to take the name of the one who sang regarding you first”. However, nothing further is known regarding Mrs. Jelke, and so it is not known what connection the man had to her.
In recent years, however, the phenomenon of water flowing into two oceans has become increasingly rare, as Condé Nast Traveler writes. Because the lake is in a kind of basin. And only when this had filled to the brim due to precipitation or snowmelt did the lake overflow or drain. However, recently there has not been enough snow in Yellowstone Park to melt into Isa Lake. Instead, its water also evaporates in hot summers because, as already mentioned, it has no inflow.
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If you want to see Isa Lake, you can also visit other fascinating natural wonders in Yellowstone Park. The lake is on the road between the Old Faithful geyser and the so-called West Thumb, where geysers are also located. The route is covered by car, there are plenty of parking spaces near the lake. Of course, one cannot see with one’s own eyes when Isa Lake actually drains into two oceans at the same time. On the other hand, in summer its surface is often covered all over with yellow water lilies. And that’s the wonderful thing regarding nature: You can also enjoy the little things.
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