Okanagan Lake
View of Okanagan Lake
Coordinates	50°0′N 119°30′WCoordinates: 50°0′N 119°30′W
Lake type	Mountain Lake Monomitic Oligotrophic
Primary sources	Numerous creeks
Primary outflows	Okanagan River
Catchment area	6,200 km²
Basin countries	Canada (British Columbia)
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, BC Lake Country, BC Kelowna, BC Peachland, BC Summerland, BC Penticton, BC
1 Shore length is an imprecise measure which may not be standardized for this article.

Okanagan Lake 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.^[1] 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.^[2] 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 level. These terraces are now used extensively for agriculture such as fruit cultivation. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... A man-made lake in Keukenhof, Netherlands A lake is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size contained on a body of land. ... Mountain Lake is a city and a township in Cottonwood County, Minnesota: Mountain Lake Mountain Lake Township It is also the name of a body of water in southwest Virginia: Mountain Lake This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the... A hypha (plural hyphae) is a long, branching filamentous cell of a fungus, and also of unrelated Actinobacteria. ... An Oligotrophic refers to any environment which offers little to sustain life. ... The Okanogan River (called the Okanagan River in its upper reaches in Canada) is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 115 mi (185 km) long, in southern British Columbia in Canada and north central Washington in the United States. ... A drainage basin is the area within the drainage basin divide (yellow outline), and drains the surface runoff and river discharge (blue lines) of a contiguous area. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages English Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 36 6 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total)  Ranked 5th 944,735 km² 925,186 km² 19,549 km... A residence time is the average time a substance spends within a specified region of space, such as a reservoir. ... Rattlesnake Island is a small island on Okanagan Lake, located across from Peachland. ... , Vernon is a city in the south central region of British Columbia called the Okanagan at the north end of Okanagan Lake and Kalamalka Lake. ... Lake Country is a District Municipality with a population of approximately 10,000 in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. ... Kelowna (2005 Population 105,621, Metropolitan Area 165,221) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. ... Peachland is the name of two places in North America: In Canada, Peachland, British Columbia In the United States, Peachland, North Carolina This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Summerland (2003 population 11,179) is a community on the west side of Okanagan Lake in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. ... Penticton ( ) is a city in south central British Columbia between Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake (at one time known officially as Dog Lake). Its 2001 population was 30,985 (41,574 in the greater area). ... A view overlooking Skaha Lake in the Okanagan Valley The regional districts that comprise the Okanagan are shown in red. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages English Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 36 6 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total)  Ranked 5th 944,735 km² 925,186 km² 19,549 km... The Pleistocene epoch is part of the geologic timescale, usually dated as 1. ... Kalamalka Lake is named for the Okanagan (Okanogan U.S. spelling) Indian chief who occupied its northern shores, although many believe (incorrectly) that it means (lake of) many colours in the Okanagan Language. ... Skaha Lake Skaha Lake (49°25′ N 119°35′ W) is a freshwater lake located in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. ... The Okanogan River (called the Okanagan River in its upper reaches in Canada) is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 115 mi (185 km) long, in southern British Columbia in Canada and north central Washington in the United States. ... The regional districts that comprise the Okanagan are shown in red. ...

Cities bordering the lake include Vernon in the north, Penticton in the south, and Kelowna in the centre, as well as the smaller municipalities of Lake Country (north of Kelowna), Peachland (south-west of Kelowna), 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 Okanagan Lake Bridge, a floating bridge which connects Kelowna to the community of Westbank. . ... Penticton is a city in south central British Columbia between Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake. ... Locator map for Kelowna, BC Kelowna (2001 population 96,288, metropolitan population 147,739) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. ... Lake Country is a District Municipality with a population of approximately 10,000 in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. ... Peachland is the name of two places in North America: In Canada, Peachland, British Columbia In the United States, Peachland, North Carolina This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Summerland can refer to two different things: The city Summerland, British Columbia Summerland, a 2004 novel by Michael Chabon Summerland, a television series ... Rattlesnake Island is a small island on Okanagan Lake, located across from Peachland. ... Peachland is the name of two places in North America: In Canada, Peachland, British Columbia In the United States, Peachland, North Carolina This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Cliff Diving is the fourth single to be released/leaked by the band +44. ... Fintry Delta is a small community in British Columbia, Canada. ... The Okanagan Lake Bridge (also known as the Kelowna Floating Bridge) is a a three-lane, 2,100 foot/650 meter-long floating bridge across Okanagan Lake, from Kelowna, British Columbia on the eastern side to the Westside area. ... Pontoon bridge across the James River at Richmond, Virginia, 1865. ... Kelowna (2005 Population 105,621, Metropolitan Area 165,221) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. ... Westbank is a municipality in the province of British Columbia. ...

Okanagan Lake winds between Kelowna (foreground) and Westbank (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. Lake Okanagan is next to Canada's only true desert ecosystem. Image File history File links Okanagan. ... Image File history File links Okanagan. ... Binomial name Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum, 1792 Native range of Rainbow trout Subspecies See text. ... Binomial name Oncorhynchus nerka (Walbaum, 1792) Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), also called Red Salmon or Blueback Salmon, is an anadromous species of salmon found in the Pacific Ocean. ... Ogopogo is the name given a lake monster reported to live in Lake Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada. ...

Legends

Lake Okanagan is the home of lake monster, Ogopogo. Sightings of Ogopogo are frequent and natives of the Okanagan area often catch rides on the friendly lake monster's back. It is said that Parker Cove is a popular pick up spot for Ogopogo-riders. The commute to Kelowna on Ogopogo is a quick 15 minutes, 20 minutes if the water is rough.

References

1.   Okanagan Lake. World Lakes Database. International Lake Environment Committee Foundation. Retrieved on 2006-05-12.
2.   [1995] "Geofacts of Kelowna", in Murray A. Roed, John D. Greenough: Okanagan Geology. Sandhill Book Marketing, 199. ISBN 0-9699795-2-5. 

• World Lakes Database entry for Okanagan Lake

Ogopogo is a friendly lake monster.Ogopogo is sweet For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ...

External links

• WikiMapia map of Okanagan Lake
• Satellite view of Okanagan Lake on Google
• Canadiana; Bacon Magazine;Ogo Pogo

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Okanagan Lake