Hebgen Lake

Hebgen Lake
Hebgen Lake
Hebgen Lake is located in Montana
Hebgen Lake
Hebgen Lake
Location in Montana
LocationGallatin County, Montana,
United States
Coordinates44°46′56″N 111°14′01″W / 44.78222°N 111.23361°W / 44.78222; -111.23361[1]
TypeReservoir
Primary inflowsMadison River
Primary outflowsMadison River
Catchment area905 square miles (2,340 km2)
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length15 miles (24 km)
Max. width4 miles (6.4 km)
Surface area12,563 acres (5,084 ha)[2]
Max. depth70 feet (21 m)[2]
Water volume386,200 acre⋅ft (476,400,000 m3)[2]
Shore length165 miles (105 km)[3]
Surface elevation6,539 ft (1,993 m)[1]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Hebgen Lake is a reservoir created by the Hebgen Dam, located in Gallatin County in southwest Montana. It is well known for the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake (magnitude 7.1 to 7.5) which occurred nearby on August 17, 1959, forming Quake Lake, which is located immediately downstream.[4]

In addition to the Madison River, which flows through the reservoir, the tributaries include the South Fork Madison River, which feeds the southeastern Madison Arm, as well as Duck Creek, Grayling Creek and Red Canyon Creek, which flow into the eastern Grayling Arm. To the west, opposite the Grayling Arm, Watkins Creek flows into the main part of the reservoir.

Recreation

Hebgen Lake and the surrounding area offer many recreational activities: camping, fishing, boating, and hiking. Campgrounds include Rainbow Point and Cherry Creek. Rainbow Point is the largest campground on the lake, offering four "loops." Each loop contains approximately 20 campsites. Each campsite can accommodate a full-size camper and one or two vehicles.[5]

See also

Images

References

  1. ^ a b "Hebgen Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ a b c "Hebgen Lake". Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  3. ^ "Hebgen Lake Is 65 Miles Around". Montana Standard. August 19, 1959. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
  4. ^ "Large Earthquakes in the United States". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on November 18, 2007.
  5. ^ "Hebgen Lake Basin Area". Custer Gallatin National Forest. USDA Forest Service. Retrieved July 13, 2020.