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Places We Protect

Borax Lake Preserve

Oregon

A landscape features pools of water with mineral deposits around the edges, and grasses growing on the shore.
Borax Lake Preserve An oasis in Eastern Oregon’s Alvord Desert. © Mary Alice Wilson

An oasis in the Alvord Desert, Borax Lake is a haven for waterfowl and an endangered fish.

Viewing

Overview

Description

Borax Lake Preserve is a biological reserve, protected for its unique geologic features and rare fish species. This property is privately owned and managed in order to protect the sensitive species that call it home.

Please follow all posted site usage/visitation guidance. Do not enter or otherwise disturb the lake or adjacent hot springs.

We appreciate your help in protecting the landscape and respecting all those who enjoy it. 

Find more information about visiting Borax Lake Preserve. 
 

About Borax Lake

Remnant of a once-vast lake ecosystem that extended across southeastern Oregon, 10-acre Borax Lake is home to the highly unusual and endangered Borax Lake chub, which has evolved to thrive in this lake. Fed by ancient hot springs, surface temperatures can reach 105 degrees and water quality tests have revealed high levels of arsenic, lead and sodium borate, or borax. While these levels are naturally occurring at Borax Lake, it is toxic to people.

The Nature Conservancy has stewarded Borax Lake since 1983, taking ownership of the area in 1993. In partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the BLM and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife TNC manages the lake habitats and continues to monitor fish populations. 

The unusual nature of the Borax Lake ecosystem has made it the subject of many ecological, geological and hydrological studies. Ecologists have monitored the population of the endangered Borax Lake chub and studied their feeding and reproductive ecology. Surveys of aquatic invertebrates and geothermal microbes have been taken in Borax Lake and the adjacent hot springs. Detailed studies of water temperature, water quality and geology of the area have also been done. Many of these studies were motivated by the threat of nearby geothermal development, though the adjacent public lands are now protected from development by the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000.

Access

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Please follow visitor guidance. No pets. Please do not disturb lake/hot springs.

Explore our work in Oregon

Borax Lake is a biological reserve. Only foot traffic is allowed, with vehicle access limited to handicapped visitors and scientists conducting research. Do not enter or otherwise disturb the lake or adjacent hot springs.

Please observe the following guidelines while visiting:

  • Please observe and follow all posted site usage/visitation guidance.

  • Do not enter/disturb lake or adjacent hot springs.

  • Stay on the trail. Don’t collect plants, insects or other species or disturb soil, rocks, artifacts or scientific research markers.

  • No dogs. Preserves harbor ground-nesting birds and other wildlife that are extremely sensitive to disturbance.

  • The taking off or landing of an unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) is prohibited on the preserve.

  • No bicycles or motorized vehicles. Native plants and research sites are easily trampled.

  • No hunting, fishing, camping or campfires.

  • The road to Borax Lake Preserve is dangerous when wet and often inaccessible in winter, and temperatures in this region can reach extremes in the summer and winter months.

  • For groups of 10 or more, please contact us before visiting a preserve. (A volunteer naturalist guide may be available.)

  • Please bring a bag and carry out any trash you find.

  • Please report to us any problems you observe (e.g., camping, plant removal, hunting, off-road vehicle damage, etc).

What to See: Animals

The lake and surrounding ponds and marshes, including wetlands dominated by three-square bulrush, provide habitat for many waterfowl and other birds, including snowy plovers, black necked stilts, Forster’s terns, black-crowned night herons, American avocets, willets, phalaropes and other shorebirds. Because the lake and marsh do not freeze in winter, they provide important habitat for wintering waterfowl. Canada geese, long-billed curlews and marsh hawks nest in the area. Neotropical birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway use the area as a stopover. Western whip-tail and leopard lizards are found here at the northern end of their range.

Stand Up for Nature in Oregon

The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends, and for nearly 60 years, we’ve been working in Oregon to do just that. We’re bringing people together to solve the biggest conservation challenges of our time by transforming policy, inspiring communities to take action, protecting vital habitats and natural resources and improving livelihoods.

Make a Donation

Find More Places We Protect

The Nature Conservancy owns nearly 1,500 preserves covering more than 2.5 million acres across all 50 states. These lands protect wildlife and natural systems, serve as living laboratories for innovative science and connect people to the natural world.

See the Complete Map