The Fields Station

World Famous Milkshakes
Fields Oregon
Alvord Desert
Steens Mountain
Hunting & Fishing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ALVORD DESERT-

 

The Alvord Desert is a desert.  It is roughly southeast of Steen Mountain.  The Alvord Desert is a 12 by 7 mile playa, a dry lake bed, and averages 7 inches of rain a year.  During a dry season, the surface is flat enough to drive across, or land small aircraft.

 

ALVORD HOT SPRINGS-

 

Alvord Hot Springs is a geothermal spring located in the southeastern corner the spring lies on the western edge of the Alvord Desert into which the spring flows and eventually evaporates. To the west of the springs lies Steens Mountain, a north-south running fault with a peak of 9773 feet above sea level.

 

 

 

Additional sites of interest:

Mickey Hot Springs           Located North of the Alvord Desert

Willow Creek Hot Springs   Located off the White Horse Ranch Ln.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BORAX LAKE-

 

The Borax industry operated in the Fields area many years ago. Hot springs in and near Borax Lake contain about 80 parts per million borate. When the spring water flows onto the surrounding desert and evaporates, it leaves a thick white surface of alkali. From about 1892-1902 the Rose Valley Borax Company hired Chinese workers to collect the salt crust into small piles during the summer. The salts were dissolved in large vats (about 6,000 to 8,000 gallons) by boiling them with water and acid. Sagebrush was used to fire the dissolving tanks. When it was cooled, crystallized borax was collected, sacked, and shipped by mule team to the Central Pacific Railroad in Winnemucca. It was about 130 miles away from Borax Works. About 400 ton of borax was shipped each year. Now you can still see the rusted tanks where they processed borax near Borax Lake.