Okanagan Lake

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Okanagan Lake

Location	British Columbia
Coordinates	50°0′N 119°30′WCoordinates: 50°0′N 119°30′W
Lake type	Fjord Lake^[1], Monomictic, Oligotrophic
Primary inflows	Numerous creeks
Primary outflows	Okanagan River
Catchment area	6,200 km²
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	135 km
Max. width	4-5 km
Surface area	351 km²
Average depth	76 m
Max. depth	230 m
Water volume	24.6 km³
Residence time (of lake water)	52.8 years
Shore length¹	270 km
Surface elevation	342 m
Islands	Rattlesnake Island, Whiskey Island (British Columbia)
Settlements	Vernon, Lake Country, Kelowna, Westside, Peachland, Summerland, Penticton
References	^[2]
¹ Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Okanagan Lake, also known as Lake Okanagan, is a large, deep lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. The lake is 135 km long, between 4 and 5 km wide, and has a surface area of 351 km².^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] The lake's assumed maximum depth is 232 meters near Grant Island (also called "Whiskey Island" or "Seagull Island" by locals), but the lake possibly goes much deeper under the shelves. Some areas of the lake have up to 750 meters of glacial and post-glacial sediment fill which were deposited during the Pleistocene Epoch.^[1] The lake is composed of three basins, a larger North basin, a central or mid basin, and a Southern basin. To the North the lake is joined to Kalamalka Lake by Vernon Creek, and in the South it is joined to Skaha Lake by the Okanagan River. Notable features of the Okanagan Valley include terraces which were formed due to the periodic lowering of the lake's predecessor, Glacial Lake Penticton. These terraces are now used extensively for agriculture such as fruit cultivation.

Cities bordering the lake include Vernon in the north, Penticton in the south, Kelowna and Westside in the centre, as well as the smaller municipalities of Lake Country (north of Kelowna), Peachland (south of Westside), and Summerland (north-west of Penticton). Various lake features include: Rattlesnake Island, a small island east of Peachland; Squally Point, a popular cliff-diving area; Fintry Delta on the west side; and the three-lane Okanagan Lake Bridge, a floating bridge which connects Kelowna to the municipality of Westside and the community of Westbank. The bridge is being replaced by a new five-lane floating bridge, called the William R. Bennett Bridge, that will handle increased traffic and eliminate the need for a lift span for passage of larger boats.

Okanagan Lake winds between Kelowna (foreground) and Westside (background).

Many parks and beaches are found along the shores of the lake, which make boating and swimming very popular activities. The lake is home to several species of fish, including rainbow trout and kokanee. It is said by some to be home to its own sea monster - a giant serpent-like creature named Ogopogo.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b Eyles, N., Mullins, H.T., and Hine, A.C. (1990). "Thick and fast: Sedimentation in a Pleistocene fiord lake of British Columbia, Canada". Geology 18 (11): 1153–1157. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1990)018%3C1153:TAFSIA%3E2.3.CO;2.
^ Okanagan Lake in the BC Geographical Names Information System
^ Anonymous (1974a). Limnology of the Major Lakes in the Okanagan Basin. Canada - British Columbia Okanagan Basin Agreement, Final Report, Technical Supplement V. British Columbia Water Resources Service, Victoria, British Columbia, 261 pp.
^ Anonymous (1974b). The Main Report of the Consultative Board. Canada - British Columbia Okanagan Basin Agreement. British Columbia Water Resources Service, Victoria, British Columbia.
^ Stockner, J.G. and Northcote, T.G. (1974). Recent limnological studies of Okanagan Basin lakes and their contribution to comprehensive water resource planning. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 31, 955-976.
^ Okanagan Lake. World Lakes Database. International Lake Environment Committee Foundation. Retrieved on 2006-05-12.