Teshekpuk Lake is the largest lake in the Alaskan Arctic and the third largest lake in the state.  The Teshekpuk Lake region provides important habitat to a wide variety of wildlife - including the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd, muskox, brown bear, polar bear, wolverine, wolves, arctic fox, red fox, shrews, lemmings, more than a dozen fish species, shorebirds in unusually high densities, snowy owls, jaegers, falcons, ravens, and migratory waterfowl. Given future sea-level rise projections, rapid migration of the Beaufort Sea coastline, climate change impacts to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and uncertain habitat and wildlife responses, as well as the potential for oil and gas development in the watershed, the Teshekpuk Lake Observatory (TLO) has been established.  

The primary goal of the TLO is to gain a better understanding of this internationally recognized ecosystem during a period of rapid environmental change in the Arctic.  The TLO represents a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey - Alaska Science Center, the Bureau of Land Management - Arctic Field Office, the National Science Foundation, and several other partners.  Several projects are underway that are aimed at learning about the present as well as the past state of Teshekpuk Lake and the surrounding area.  This in turn will provide much needed information on the potential future status of this unique Arctic ecosystem.
Current Weather Observations
Weather observations update every 15 minutes.   Please check the observation times as there may occasionally be a brief delay in reporting.

Teshekpuk in the News

  • The Teshekpuk Lake region was recently highlighted in a report on Arctic climate change and domestic energy development that was compiled for President Obama.  View the press release and a pdf of the document (see pages 28 and 29).
  • Teshekpuk Lake was recently listed as a potential freshwater, long-term monitoring site in the Arctic by the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program of the Arctic Council.  View the Arctic Freshwater Biodiversity Monitoring Plan (see Table 7 and Figure 11).
  • Teshekpuk Caribou Herd Analysis - A recent analysis that describes the conditions that make the greater Teshekpuk Lake area the preferred destination for calving caribou in the Teshekpuk herd.