Skaha Lake

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Skaha Lake
Skaha Lake.jpg
Skaha Lake is located in British Columbia
Skaha Lake
Skaha Lake
LocationBritish Columbia
Coordinates49°25′N 119°35′W / 49.417°N 119.583°W / 49.417; -119.583Coordinates: 49°25′N 119°35′W / 49.417°N 119.583°W / 49.417; -119.583
Primary inflowsOkanagan River
Primary outflowsOkanagan River
Catchment areaOkanagan Basin
Basin countriesCanada
Max. length11.8 kilometres (7.3 mi)
Max. width2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi)
Surface area19.6 square kilometres (7.6 sq mi)
Average depth26.6 metres (87 ft)
Max. depth56.7 metres (186 ft)
Water volume0.552 cubic kilometres (0.132 cu mi)
Residence time1.1 years
Shore length130.7 kilometres (19.1 mi)
Surface elevation339 m (1112 ft)
FrozenFebruary 2014
SettlementsPenticton, Okanagan Falls
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Skaha Lake, historically known as Dog Lake and, prior to that, as Lac Du Chien, is a freshwater lake located along the course of the Okanagan River in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada.[1][2] It has a surface area of approximately 20 km2, with a maximum depth of 55 metres. The lake is situated directly south of Okanagan Lake and forms the southern shoreline and boundary of the city of Penticton, British Columbia. The community of Okanagan Falls is located at its southern end, the community of Kaleden lies in the upland area to its west.

History and meaning of name[]

"Labelled "L. du Chien" (Dog Lake) on Anderson Map, 1867; labelled "Du Chien L." on Trutch maps, 1866 and 1871. Origin unknown. Later, Dog became the official name. Changed in 1930 to Skaha "to agree with the local name," states the Chief Geographer. However Okanagan Indians say "skaha" is not their word for dog, but is that of the Shuswaps, and that the local word for dog is chokowapee. (Parham, 40). Another spelling is kaekuwapa. The local meaning of skaha is "horse". (Albert Millar). That is also the meaning in the Nicola dialect. (W. G. Clapperton)."[3]

Ecology[]

The lake lies as the boundary between the Okanagan dry forests to the northeast and the Cascade Mountains leeward forests to the west. To the south lies the Columbia Plateau shrubland, the only xeric shrubland ecoregion in Canada. The lake itself hosts a variety of fish including kokanee salmon, rainbow trout, and smallmouth bass.[4]

See also[]

References[]

  • 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.
  1. ^ "Skaha Lake". BC Geographical Names.
  2. ^ Information from the World Lakes Database Archived 2005-08-24 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ 12th Annual Report of the Okanagan Historical Society, 1948
  4. ^ "Skaha Lake Fishing Charter | Kelowna Fishing - Rodney's REEL Outdoors". Kelowna Fishing. Retrieved 2020-08-24.

External links[]


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