| Shuswap Lake | |
|---|---|
 Western reaches of Shuswap Lake | |
  Shuswap Lake | |
 The three arms of Shuswap Lake | |
| Location | South-CentralBritish Columbia |
| Coordinates | 50°59′N119°1′W / 50.983°N 119.017°W /50.983; -119.017 |
| Type | Lake |
| Primary inflows | Adams River, Scotch Creek,Seymour River,Anstey River,Eagle River,Shuswap River (viaMara Lake/Sicamous Narrows),Salmon River |
| Primary outflows | Little River |
| Catchment area | 17,478 km2 (6,748 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 89 km (55 mi) |
| Max. width | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Surface area | 310 km2 (120 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 61.6 m (202 ft) |
| Max. depth | 161 m (528 ft) |
| Water volume | 19.1 km3 (4.6 cu mi) |
| Residence time | 2.1 years |
| Shore length1 | 342 km (213 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 347 m (1,138 ft) |
| Islands | Copper |
| Settlements | (seearticle) |
| 1 Shore length isnot a well-defined measure. | |
Shuswap Lake (pronounced/ˈʃuːʃwɑːp/SHOOSH-wahp) is alake located in the southern interior ofBritish Columbia,Canada that drains via theLittle River intoLittle Shuswap Lake. Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, a branch of theThompson River, a tributary of theFraser River. It is at the heart of a region known as the Columbia Shuswap or "the Shuswap", noted for its recreational lakeshore communities including the city ofSalmon Arm. The name "Shuswap" is derived from the Shuswap orSecwepemcFirst Nations people, the most northern of theInterior Salish peoples, whose territory includes the Shuswap. The Shuswap call themselves /ʃǝxwépmǝx/ in their own language, which is called /ʃǝxwepmǝxtʃín/.[1]
Shuswap Lake is located in the southernInterior region of the province at the boundary of theShuswap Highland and theMonashee Range, a sub-range of theColumbia Mountains.
The lake consists of fourarms, forming a shape reminiscent of the letter H. The four arms are called Salmon Arm (southwest), Shuswap Arm or Main Arm (west), Anstey Arm (northeast), and Seymour Arm (north). Shuswap Lake connects to Little Shuswap Lake via the Little River, which flows from the end of Shuswap Lake.
To the north-west it is fed by theAdams River, which drainsAdams Lake. The Salmon Arm of Shuswap Lake connects toMara Lake at the Sicamous Channel. TheShuswap River connects viaMara Lake. In the south-west theSalmon River flows into the lake atSalmon Arm. TheEagle River runs down from theEagle Pass in theMonashees to enter the lake atSicamous, in the east. TheSeymour River empties into the northern end of the Seymour Arm. In addition to these rivers, numerous creeks feed the lake, including Scotch Creek, which runs south to the north shore of the main arm, near the community of the same name.
The central interior plateau of British Columbia drained by theFraser andColumbia rivers is part of the Shuswapterrane in British Columbia and northern Washington state. It is dissected by numerous elongated, glacially-overdeepened lake basins which are formed by the same mechanisms as coastalfjords.[2][3] Shuswap Lake consists of two, geologically separate basins - Shuswap/Seymour, and Anstey/Salmon Arm.[4]
Themetamorphic bedrock in the area is classified as theShuswap Complex, and is the result oftectonic buildup of rock in western North America in theMesozoic era.[4]
From 14000-10000 BCE, at the end of thelast glacial maximum, several largeglacial lakes formed in the region as ice melt was trapped by the remnants of the ice sheets that had previously covered the area.[4] Glacial Lake Kamloops extended over the Shuswap Lake area, with depths up to 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above the current surface elevation.
The lake sits at 347 metres (1,138 ft) above sea level, and has a surface area of 310 square kilometres (120 sq mi). The lakeshore has a perimeter of 342 kilometres (213 mi). The mean depth of the lake is 62 metres (203 ft) and its maximum depth reaches 171 metres (561 ft) in Seymour Arm. The Cinnemosun Narrows, where the two basins of the lake join, is only 5 metres (16 ft) deep.[4] The average volume of the lake is 19 cubic kilometres (4.6 cu mi) and water remains in the lake for an average of 2.1 years.[5]
There are 34 permanent streams and rivers that feed into the lake. The three largest inflows by mean annual discharge are from the Shuswap River, the Adams River, and the Seymour River. The lake has a large watershed for its size and drains 17,478 square kilometres (6,748 sq mi) of the surrounding area. The lake's single outflow is the Little River.[5]
Water quality in the lake is generally clear and cold, with low nutrient levels. It is consideredoligotrophic, with the exception of Salmon Arm, which has higher levels of nutrients and algae due to agricultural activities in the Salmon River valley. Lake levels vary according to season, with about a 3-metre (9.8 ft) difference between the lowest levels, usually in March or April, and the highest, typically in late June or early July. The lake water is thermally stratified in the summer months and experiences turnover during the fall and winter. The lake rarely develops full ice cover during the winter.[5]
Shuswap Lake is home to 30 species of fish. Of these species, theChinook salmon,Coho salmon,Sockeye salmon,Rainbow trout,Lake trout, andBurbot are of importance regarding recreational fishing.Carp are an invasive fish present in lake waters.[5]
Eurasian water milfoil has spread across much of the lake, but is most prevalent in Salmon Arm Bay.[6]
Like many other lakes, Shuswap Lake has a locallake monster legend attached to it. An eight-metre (25-foot)-long serpentine creature, known as the Shuswap Lake Monster, "Shugumu", or "Shuswaggi", is reported to live in the lake.[7][8]
Several parks are located on the shores of Shuswap Lake, includingShuswap Lake Provincial Park andTsútswecw Provincial Park on the main arm of the lake,Silver Beach Provincial Park on Seymour Arm,Herald Provincial Park andSunnybrae Provincial Park on Salmon Arm, andCinnemousun Narrows Provincial Park at the narrows where the four arms meet.Shuswap Lake Marine Provincial Park is a system of 23 different campsites located on beaches throughout the lake.[9]
The largest settlement on the lake is the city ofSalmon Arm on the arm with the same name. This arm is also home toTappen,Sunnybrae,Canoe andSicamous, the second-largest town. Communities on the north shore of Shuswap Lake includeCelista,Lee Creek,Salmon Arm,Squilax,Scotch Creek,Anglemont,Magna Bay, andSt. Ives.Eagle Bay,Sorrento,Blind Bay are on the south shore of the main arm of the lake.Seymour Arm is the only settlement on Seymour Arm. Anstey Arm is unpopulated.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
.svg)
