Okanagan Lake winds between Kelowna (foreground) and Westbank (background).
Okanagan Lake (Okanagan: kɬúsx̌nítkw)[3] is a lake in the Okanagan ValleyofBritish Columbia, Canada. The lake is 135 km (84 mi) long, between 4 and 5 km (2.5 and 3.1 mi) wide, and has a surface area of 348 km2 (135 sq. mi.).[4][5][6]
Okanagan Lake is called a fjord lake as it has been carved out by repeated glaciations. Although the lake contains numerous lacustrine terraces, it is not uncommon for the lake to be 100 metres (328 ft) deep only 10 metres (11 yd) offshore.[7]
Major inflows include Mission, Vernon, Trout, Penticton, Equesis, Kelowna, Peachland and Powers Creeks.[8]
The lake is drained by the Okanagan River, which exits the lake's south end via a canal through the city of Penticton to Skaha Lake, whence the river continues southwards into the rest of the South Okanagan and through Okanogan County, Washington to its confluence with the Columbia.
The lake's maximum depth is 232 metres (761 ft) near Grant Island (Nahun Weenox). There are three other islands: one known as Rattlesnake Island, much farther south by Squally Point. The other two are near Grant Island. They are unnamed and are located just north of the north-point of Whisky Cove at Carrs Landing. Some areas of the lake have up to 750 metres (2,460 ft) of glacial and post-glacial sediment fill which were deposited during the Pleistocene Epoch.[1]
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, and Kelowna, as well as the municipalities of Lake Country (north of Kelowna), West Kelowna (west of Kelowna), Peachland (south of West Kelowna), and Summerland (north-west of Penticton). Unincorporated communities include Naramata (north-east of Penticton).
During the early days of settlement and development of the Okanagan region, the lack of roads in the region made the lake a natural corridor for passenger travel and freight. The Canadian Pacific Railway Lake and River Service was the main carrier on the lakes, providing freight and passenger connections between Penticton, on the Kettle Valley Railway (the Southern Mainline) and Okanagan Landing (Vernon) for connections to the CPR Mainline at Sicamous via the Shuswap and Okanagan Railway. Smaller vessels such as the SSNaramata provided passenger service to smaller settlements around the lake, as well as excursions for tourists.[9]
sternwheeler Aberdeen on Okanagan Lake, sometime between 1893 and 1895
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 lake monster – a giant serpent-like creature named Ogopogo.
^Stockner J.G.; 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 (5): 955–976. doi:10.1139/f74-111.
^"Okanagan Lake". World Lakes Database. International Lake Environment Committee Foundation. Archived from the original on 2005-11-21. Retrieved 2006-05-12.
^Murray A., Roed (1995). "Chapter 5: The ice Age in the Okanagan". In Roed, Murray A. (ed.). Okanagan Geology: British Columbia. Okanagan Geology Committee. p. 48. ISBN978-0-9699795-4-8.
^"CHAPTER 1: The Okanagan Basin" in section "1.2 Drainage". CANADA - BRITISH COLUMBIA OKANAGAN BASIN AGREEMENT THE MAIN REPORT OF THE CONSULTATIVE BOARD, Part 1 Introduction (Report). Penticton, British Columbia: British Columbia Water Resources Service. March 31, 1974. p. 5. Major tributaries of Okanagan Lake, listed in order of decreasing annual discharge are Mission, Vernon, Trout Creek, Penticton, Equesis, Kelowna, Peachland and Powers Creeks.
^Penticton Museum displays, and heritage signs at the Okanagan Lake Heritage Shipyard on Okanagan Beach in Penticton.
Media related to Okanagan Lake at Wikimedia Commons
