Lost River (California)
The Lost River begins and ends in a closed basin in northern California and southern Oregon in the United States. The river, long, flows in an arc from Clear Lake Reservoir in Modoc County, California, through Klamath County, Oregon, to Tule Lake in Siskiyou County, California. About of Lost River are in Oregon, and are in California.
Course
From its source, the river flows into Langell Valley, where Miller Creek enters from the right. Near Bonanza, the river turns west and passes through Olene Gap, about east of Klamath Falls. The river then turns southeast and flows along the base of Stukel Mountain, where it provides diversion canals for small lakes including Nuss Lake for irrigation and flood control. It then re-enters California south of Merrill.Dams, canals, pumps, and other artificial structures on the Lost River, Clear Lake, and Tule Lake are part of the Klamath Project of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the basin's water flow mainly for farming and flood control. The project provides water to about of cropland, 62% of which are in Oregon and 38% in California. Water from the Lost River basin is diverted to the Klamath River basin, mainly through the Lost River Diversion Channel, about downstream of Olene. The channel can also supply water by reverse flow from the Klamath when irrigation water is needed for farms in drained parts of Tule Lake.