Lesson of the newt

It dominated this remote landscape for years until the end of the 19th century, when several fish were introduced to promote recreation at the lake. The fish and the newt lived harmoniously until crayfish were introduced as food for the fish in 1915. It was then that things changed for the newt.

While fish were no longer added to the lake after 1941, the crayfish have flourished as water temperatures rose. It is now home to several species, including the kokanee salmon, rainbow trout, signal crayfish and the Mazama newts, which are only found at the lake and nowhere else in the world.

Their future is threatened by the crayfish and their aggressive feeding. The newts have no defense mechanism and the crayfish are set to take over the entire shoreline. If they do, it might cause additional greening of the shoreline because algae grows where crayfish are flourishing and scientists theorize it’s because the crayfish are eating the insects that feed on the algae.

The lake is known for its depth and crystal clear blue water, deeper and bluer than Lake Tahoe. And yet, the introduction of a species to promote recreation is creating a threat to not only a species unique to its ecosystem but also its crystal clear blue water which also gives it much of its renown.

Many newts have evolved defense mechanisms for survival and one that needn’t have is unique, but evolutionary changes don’t happen overnight. One could say who cares about one newt in the grand scope of things, but one change begets another. It could mean the lake would lose its blue purity and beauty, which is a loss for all of us. One could also say who cares about one lake in the grand scope of things, but again, one change begets another.

Evolution marches on, and some species won’t make it because of the impact of another. While some have said that humans are the most invasive of species, I think it’s just a matter of us being the most complex and innovative. After all, no one faults termites for their mounds or ants for their colonies (unless such a colony is under your house).

The story of the newt, however, is cautionary for our actions as it relates to the environment and other species, but also for our actions when it comes to our own species and interrelations.

Every word, every action, every political decision, every well-intended movement can have consequences or results that have impact on our ecosystem, our lives and our future.

It’s important to consider how seeking to solve one problem could present subsequent issues in the short term and the long term. It’s the butterfly effect, the domino effect, causation at its most basic level and too often we look for the quick fix rather than the long-term solution. That can change, indeed it must.

Thanks to Marley Kinsman, our tour boat guide who described many of these changes to us while we took a two-hour trip around the lake. And also the park ranger who gave a talk about the mysteries of the lake, that includes the newt and also a log that has been floating upright in the lake for several decades.

That, along with the cinder cone volcano that emerged on Wizard Island and the mysterious Phantom Ship that disappears depending on your vista, means Crater Lake is a pretty interesting place to visit. But the only access point to the lake will be off limits until 2029 for a major renovation project and there will be no boat rides until then.

Once the renovation is over, you might get your own lesson from a newt.