2023 Map of Fire Lake

About this map

Diatomite Mine sits at the base of the high desert slopes in this corner of Lake County, signifying the industrial extraction of ancient seabed minerals from the Oregon landscape. The area is defined by a series of critical water sources essential for life and livestock in an otherwise arid environment, including the centrally located Fire Lake and the nearby Depaoli Lake. Topography is dominated by the dramatic rise of Saunders Rim to the southeast, while a network of resource points like Saunders Waterhole, West Saunders Waterhole, and North DC Waterhole are scattered across the township boundaries. This 2023 survey illustrates the continued importance of these named water features and mining operations in a sparsely populated region of the Pacific Northwest.