| Lake De Smet | |
|---|---|
 View from Lower Piney Creek Road | |
  Lake De Smet Location within Wyoming Show map of Wyoming Lake De Smet Lake De Smet (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Johnson County, Wyoming |
| Coordinates | 44°27′58″N106°44′18″W / 44.4661701°N 106.7383183°W /44.4661701; -106.7383183[1] |
| Surface elevation | 4,570 feet (1,390 m)[1] |
Lake De Smet is alake located inJohnson County, Wyoming. It services Johnson County with water for industrial, agricultural, and municipal uses. With a maximum depth of 120 feet, and a capacity of 234,897 acre feet, Johnson County is responsible for 68.27% of its annual maintenance and operation costs, while the state of Wyoming covers the other 31.73%.[2]
First described byPierre-Jean De Smet, aJesuit priest, in a letter dated August 24, 1851, it was a highly saline lake capable of housing only limited aquatic life in its early years. Throughout its history, it changed hands multiple times, with its owners includingLevi Leiter, Reynolds Mining, andTexaco. In 1865, thePowder River Expedition passed by the lake during its military operations against various Native American people, including theLakota Sioux, theCheyenne, and theArapaho. TheLake Desmet Segment of theBozeman Trail is located around a mile west to the lake.