The Crater Lake Monster now has a name!

For millennia, tales have been told about monsters lurking under the surface of Oregon's famed Crater Lake. The indigenous peoples who made their home near the lake had stories of such a beast, as did the early settlers of the region.

Such legends are not just in the past, however. A frightening modern-day sighting was reported by Mattie Hatcher of Albany, Georgia, who said she saw a long dragon-like creature swim under their rowboat on Crater Lake when she was a child.

Until now, however, this legendary but elusive Crater Lake resident hasn't had a proper name, and this just seemed... well, undignified! Nessie of Scotland's Loch Ness has a name, after all, as does the sea serpent Caddy, who makes appearances up and down the Pacific Coast of North America.

We decided this was a wrong that must be righted, so we held a naming contest, and… we have a winner!!

Magma, short for Magmasaurus, with Maggie as a wonderful, cheery nickname for the monster, was submitted by John Maunder of Sevenoaks, England. The contest judges unanimously choose this as the appropriate moniker for the mysterious denizen of Crater Lake, and since the lake was formed by a massive volcanic explosion, I have to agree!

As John lives across the pond in England, he has kindly offered to donate his prize of dinner and bowling to a worthy family in the area.

Congratulations to John, and many thanks to all who submitted name entries. Each one was massively creative and a winner in its own right!

Thanks must also be given to KWRO radio's Hooked on Oregon for announcing the contest on the air, and to the show's crew - Cam Parry, Mark Mattechek, Rick Osborne, Jeff Galusha, and Sandy Messerle - who combed through the many worthy entries to find the winner. We also offer thanks to North Bend Lanes for their generous donation of a prize.