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1991

January 17            1991       A federal official has ordered the suspension of geothermal exploration on the east boundary of Crater Lake.  This supports the fear that exploratory drilling would tap into the source of the warm water that feeds the lake and could mar the Lake’s clarity.  Noise from the drilling operation could effect wildlife in the area.

March                     1991       The “Mazama Tree” is uncovered in a landfill by the Klamath County Dept. of Public Works.  The tree is found standing upright-where it had stood for the past 7,690 years.  Hundreds of charred logs have been found, tumbled and buried by the glowing avalanches of Mt. Mazama, but this is the first such tree found that was covered so fast and sealed, the wood was preserved without being burned.  The old Ponderosa pine (other accounts say cedar) looks and feels like it had been taken from a fresh tree.  The 28-foot log was found standing upright, 35 feet below the surface.  Four other tree wells have been uncovered in the area, but the wells were empty.  The heat from the super hot pumice had literally vaporized the wood.  The pine log was found to be approximately 300 years old at the time of encasement, 7,690 years ago.

March – April        1991       After a low snow measurement of only 52 inches on the ground on March 1, a whopping 180 inches of snow fell during March and April.

March 1, 1981 – 48 inches of snow on the ground at HQ – 112 inches average for that date

March 1, 1977 – 43 inches of snow on the ground at HQ

March 1, 1963 – 38 inches of snow on the ground at HQ

 March 1, 1934 – O  inches of snow on the ground at HQ

May 1                     1991       Overhaul of the Lodge begins. Phase one rebuilding the Great Hall, which was torn completely down and reassembled. The fireplace – numbered the stone fireplace for reassemble. Only 10% would remain in the new lodge. The crews worked 60 hours per week to race against the snow. If snow came before enclosing the remaining two sections would collapse under the weight of the snow.

June                       1991       The first phase of the Lodge rehabilitation project begins.  Will cost $2.8 million. (Final price tag reaches $21 million.)  The “Great Hall”, the center of the oldest section has deteriorated so badly, the middle section has to be completely dismantled, including the stonewalls and the giant stone fireplace. Large cement foundation walls are poured and the stonework is reapplied as a veneer.  By building 10 to 20 foot cement walls, stability is added to the center section.  The remaining two end sections will be tied to the cement sections, thus helping to stabilize the wings of the building. The two wings will be reconstructed during phase two. Designers are targeting a 1925 look.

Summer                1991       Superintendent Robert Benton retires from the Park Service. Ben Ladd, Superintendent of John Day Fossil Beds, serves as Acting Superintendent until October.

September 8         1991       Former President and Mrs. Carter visit Crater Lake.  At 2:30 p.m. they stop by the Administration Building, and then a quick stop at Discovery Point before leaving the Park.

The following is from Stephen R. Mark, Park Historian writing in the 2000 issue of the Crater Lake Nature Notes: Mr. and Mrs. Carter came as a single “family” where two people (not counting the Secret Service agents) comprise the most common group of visitors. Single families far outnumber the visitors traveling alone or larger groups such as bus tours. Like the majority of summer visitors, Mr. and Mrs. Carter had never seen Crater Lake previously and their midday stop in the park lasted less than four hours. They, like so many other people who come here, did not see it as a destination. Mr. and Mrs. Carter visited Crater Lake en route to the North Umpqua River, where they wanted to go fishing.

Most visitors do not encounter National Park Service staff during the course of their stay, but the Carters found employees willing to assist them because they made the effort to stop at Park Headquarters before proceeding to the rim. The ex-President and his wife even heard an interpretive talk, thereby joining the minority of the park’s half million visitors each year who experience a portion of our educational program. Only one in five visitors find their way to a contact station such as the Kiser Studio.

October                  1991       Searchers spend three weeks slogging through four feet of snow looking for Glenn Allen Mackie, 33, of Brea, California.  Snow had begun falling when Mackie’s car was first noticed in the parking lot.  It contained his driver’s license, keys, passport, cash and toiletries.  No trace of the man was  found at that time. (See August 30, 2008. when Glenn Mackie’s body was found along Bybee Creek following a fire.)

October 16            1991       David Morris EOD’s as Crater Lake’s 23rd superintendent.  Ben Ladd, superintendent of the John Day Fossil Beds served this past summer as acting superintendent.  Mr. Morris comes to Crater Lake from southeast Utah, where he served as assistant superintendent of a group of national parks, including Canyonlands, Arches and Natural Bridges NM.  Morris says he is not coming to the Park with “any agenda from on high” but will emphasize resource protection and providing for visitor use. Morris wants Crater Lake to become more “user-friendly”.  Mr. Morris began his NPS career 31 years ago working at Crater Lake as a seasonal fire guard.

October 18            1991       A plugged sewer line causes a sewage spill into Munson Creek. The spill entered the creek channel about a half-mile above Park Headquarters. (A repeat of 1975?)

October 26            1991       The 1988 Rim expansion and rehabilitation figure of $30 million has ballooned to $66.2 million.  Lawmakers are complaining that the project has gotten too big and expensive.  Park officials are preparing a list of options that include cutting down on the scope of the building program.  This means the elimination of the multilevel parking structure, a shuttle bus system, comfort stations and a new concessionaire’s dorm.

November            1991       Dr. Charlie Bacon’s radiocarbon age date for Mazama climatic eruption originally placed at 6845 BP is recalibrated to 7700 caldera years Before Present.

November 30       1991       The NPS takes another look at plans for building a year-round hotel on the Rim of Crater Lake after the price tag doubles in three years.  Congress balks at the funding, especially after spending $21 restoring the historic Lodge. Originally. The plan was to tear out Rim Village, build an 80-unit hotel and activity center on the site of the existing cafeteria and gift shop, remove the parking lot, restore the site to natural conditions and build another parking lot a quarter-mile down the hill that would be served by shuttle bus.  Then the old lodge was to be restored.  But because of its crumbling condition, restoration of the lodge was begun first.  The total price tag for the Rim Development has been estimated at $66 million. The NPCA, a conservation group that lobbies against commercialization of national parks hopes to capitalize on the growing cost and kill the project.

December 31        1991       Due to the prolonged drought, new data places Crater Lake’s annual precipitation at 64 inches, down from the previous average of 69 inches.

Water year 1991 – 1992     Record low snowfall of only 20 feet (243 inches)

Fiscal Year            1991       Park ONPS budget set at $2.1 million. The first year the park operation has exceeded $2 million.

Season                  1991       Visitation: 525,441 a 20% increase from last year and the largest visitation for 10 years.

(Online says: 456,931)

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