While Steens Mountain looms to the west, the shimmering salt flats of the Alvord Desert unfold to the east. The Alvord Desert playa, which can be either wet or dry depending on the time of year, is one of the largest playas in Oregon—six miles wide and 11 miles long. Tens of thousands of years ago, a lake almost 200 feet deep covered the Alvord Desert and extended southward into Nevada. The old shoreline forms terraces along the edge of the valley, and deep under the desert floor are the same lava flows that make up the top of Steens Mountain.

Located below the east face of Steens Mountain, Mann Lake attracts anglers as much for its remote, rugged splendor as for its abundant Lahontan cutthroat trout. These trout are supremely adapted to survive alkaline desert waters and without them fisheries like Mann Lake could not exist. The lake was named for an early rancher and has satisfied fishers for over forty years. Know before You Go

The Alvord Desert is accessible year-round; however, ideal conditions exist July through November, when the playa is usually dry enough for vehicular travel. With no potable water, restroom facilities, cell phone service, or designated camping areas, travelers to the area should bring their own conveniences and plan on a desolate, open-air adventure.

Fishing at Mann Lake. At Mann Lake, anglers converge as early as March and into October. Shallow throughout its 200 acres, the lake features extensive weed-beds and easily wadeable shoreline margins. Aside from two vault restrooms and boat ramps, Mann Lake offers no amenities. Bring your own shade, shelter and water and tie everything down. Swift winds are common, and weather conditions are often unpredictable. The nearest town is Fields, 45 minutes to 1 hour south.

An Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) is a designation that highlights areas where special management attention is needed to protect and prevent irreparable damage to important historic, cultural and scenic values; fish, wildlife resources or other natural systems or processes; or to protect human life and safety from natural hazards. BLM establishes special management measures for these areas through land use planning. The designation is a record of significant values that must be accommodated when BLM considers future management actions and land use proposals. Congress mandated the designation of ACECs through the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) to manage areas containing truly unique and significant resource values. In 2000, there were 838 ACECs managed by BLM covering 14,045,540 acres.

ACEC designations are an important management tool because they highlight significant resources or hazards where special management measures are needed to prevent irreparable damage. The ACEC designation enables land managers to specifically address the relevant and important value or hazard and formulate a prescription to manage it. ACEC designation does not automatically prohibit or restrict other uses in the area. Since the management of ACECs is focused on the resource or natural hazard of concern the BLM prescribes special management measures that are specific to the values for which the ACEC is designated.

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