Sooke Lake is a natural lake and the main
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including control ...
of
Greater Victoria
Greater Victoria (also known as the Greater Victoria Region) is located in British Columbia, Canada, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. It is usually defined as the thirteen municipalities of the Capital Regional District (CRD ...
in
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
. It is owned and operated by the
Capital Regional District
The Capital Regional District (CRD) is a local government administrative district encompassing the southern tip of Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The CRD is one of several regional di ...
and supplies water to approximately 350,000 people.
It has a usable water supply of 92.7 million cubic meters, of a total of 160.32 million cubic meters.
Rithet Creek is the main inflow and makes up approximately 25% of the supply. The total watershed area is .
History
The development of Sooke Lake as a reservoir was approved in 1910, and construction began in 1912. A concrete dam was constructed and raised the water level . Water was transported to the city of Victoria via the
Sooke Flowline
The Sooke Flowline is an abandoned concrete aqueduct that snakes through the Sooke Hills from Sooke Lake to the Humpback Reservoir near Mt. Wells Regional Park. From this reservoir, a buried, riveted steel pressure main transported water t ...
, a concrete aqueduct. The project was completed in 1915.
See also
*
Sooke Flowline
The Sooke Flowline is an abandoned concrete aqueduct that snakes through the Sooke Hills from Sooke Lake to the Humpback Reservoir near Mt. Wells Regional Park. From this reservoir, a buried, riveted steel pressure main transported water t ...
*
Timeline of the Greater Victoria Water System
References
Lakes of Vancouver Island
Malahat Land District
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