It’s not uncommon for man-made lakes to be drained in the winter and leave an unsightly mud pit until spring comes and the water is replenished, but a natural lake? That’s what seems to be happening in Oregon and it has the local residents and officials perplexed.
Lost Lake in Oregon’s Mount Hood natural forest is an attraction for outdoor enthusiasts, and a giant natural hole in the lake is of particular attraction. During the rainy fall and winter the lake swells with water from nearby streams, but as spring arrives all that water seems to drain through a mysterious hole like a giant bathtub. The cause of this drain according to Willamette National Forest officials are two hollow lava tubes that act as a natural drain.
“A lava tube is a natural conduit formed by flowing lava which moves beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow. Tubes can be actively draining lava from a volcano during an eruption, or can be extinct, meaning the lava flow has ceased and the rock has cooled and left a long, cave-like channel.”
So, where does the water actually go? Well, even if the legend says the hole goes straight to hell, the water is most likely being absorbed back into the region’s spongy volcanic landscape. One thing is for certain: plugging the hole would definitely not be a good idea, as it would just cause flooding of local roadways.
