This kiosk is located at the junction of Hwy 31 and Lake County Rd. 5-10 (to Fort Rock). There are four signs in the kiosk: Fossil Record (geology), A Thirsty Land (geology), Local Attractions, and Byway Description
Marker Name: Fossil Record
Marker Text: Today, the hills and valleys of Oregon’s Outback are austere and dry. But during the Pleistocene Epoch (1.8 million to 10,000 years ago), when the interior northwest received more precipitation that it does today, this was a lush land of vast lakes and wetlands. Ancient animals, such as camels, sloths, and giant beavers thrived. As the last Ice Age ended, and the climate warmed and dried, many of these species died out leaving only their fossilized remains to tell their story.
Fossil Lake, to the east of Fort Rock, is one of the most significant Pleistocene fossil sites in North America. Since the early 1900s, paleontologists have been excavating and studying this outstanding record of ancient life. This region is particularly noted for the number and quality of its small-animal fossils. Bones from rodents, fish, waterfowl, and even small birds, help to fill out the story of Pleistocene life.
Marker Name: A Thirsty Land
Marker Text: Oregon’s Outback is part of the Great Basin, a region of “landlocked” desert watersheds that stretch from Nevada and Utah in the south to Oregon and Idaho in the north. This arid land owes its climate to the interplay between geology and prevailing weather.
Around 11 million years ago, this region saw abundant rain and supported lush tropical vegetation. Mountain-building tectonic forces over the next few million years pushed the Cascade Range ever higher, creating a barrier to moisture-laden Pacific air masses and drastically changed the ecology of the Great Basin.
Today, the rising Coast and Cascade Ranges to the west bear the brunt of ocean storms; their dense evergreen forests are bathed with plentiful rain and snow. By the time the air has reached the Great Basin, it has little moisture to spare for this thirsty land.
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