Spotted Lake — known as Lake Khiluk https://www.syilx.org/about-us/syilx-nation/spotted-lake-2/ (Nsyilxcən: ) in the

Nsyilxcən language Okanagan, Colville-Okanagan, or Nsyilxcən (n̓səl̓xcin̓ or n̓syilxčn̓) is a Salish language which arose among the Indigenous peoples of the southern Interior Plateau region based primarily in the Okanagan River Basin and the Columbia Rive ...

— is a saline

endorheic An endorheic basin ( ; also endoreic basin and endorreic basin) is a drainage basin that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water (e.g. rivers and oceans); instead, the water drainage flows into permanent ...

alkali lake located northwest of

Osoyoos Osoyoos (, ) is the southernmost town in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia between Penticton and Omak. The town is north of the United States border in the Washington State and is adjacent to the Osoyoos Indian reserve. The origin of ...

in the eastern

Similkameen Valley Similkameen may refer to: * Similkameen, a former community in British Columbia, Canada * Similkameen City, British Columbia, a former community in British Columbia, Canada * Similkameen Country or Similkameen District, or "the Similkameen", a ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, Canada, accessed via

Highway 3 The following highways are numbered 3, H-3, PRI-3, AH3, E03 and R3. For roads numbered A3, see A3 roads. For roads numbered M3, see M3 (disambiguation)#Roads, M3. For roads numbered N3, see N3 (disambiguation)#Roads, N3. For roads numbered 3A, see ...

Mineral and salt concentration

Spotted Lake is richly concentrated with various

minerals In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): M ...

. It contains dense deposits of

magnesium sulfate Magnesium sulfate or magnesium sulphate is a chemical compound, a salt with the formula , consisting of magnesium cations (20.19% by mass) and sulfate anions . It is a white crystalline solid, soluble in water but not in ethanol. Magnesi ...

calcium Calcium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to it ...

and sodium sulphates. It also contains high concentrations of eight other minerals and lower amounts of

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

and

titanium Titanium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resistant to corrosion in ...

. Most of the water in the lake evaporates over the summer, revealing colourful mineral deposits. Large "spots" on the lake appear and are coloured according to the mineral composition and seasonal amount of

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls from clouds due to gravitational pull. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, rain and snow mixed ("sleet" in Commonwe ...

. Magnesium sulfate, which crystallizes in the summer, is a major contributor to spot colour. In the summer, remaining minerals in the lake harden to form natural "walkways" around and between the spots.

Naming and history

Originally named in the

of the

Syilx The Syilx () people, also known as the Okanagan, Suknaqinx, or Okinagan people, are a First Nations in Canada, First Nations and Native Americans in the United States, Native American people whose traditional territory spans the Canada–United St ...

First Nation of the

Okanagan Valley The Okanagan ( ), also called the Okanagan Valley and sometimes the Okanagan Country, is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. It is part of t ...

as , Spotted Lake was for centuries, and still remains, revered as a sacred site thought to provide therapeutic waters. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the minerals of Spotted Lake were used in manufacturing

ammunition Ammunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the component parts of oth ...

. Later, the area came under the control of the Ernest Smith Family for a term of about 40 years. In 1979, Smith attempted to create interest in a spa at the lake. The First Nations responded with an effort to buy the lake, then in October 2001, struck a deal by purchasing of land for a total of $720,000, and contributed about 20% of the cost. The Indian Affairs Department paid the remainder.

Spotted Lake today

Today, there is a roadside sign telling visitors that the lake is a cultural and ecologically sensitive area, and a

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies, especially Indigenous groups, used for maintaining health and treatin ...

lake for the Okanagan Syilx people. The lake can be viewed from the fence that has been erected for protection from the liabilities of public access.

References

External links

Spotted Lake: Something out of a Doctor Suess Book?Flickr: People walking on the lake.
* * * {{British Columbia hydrography Tourist attractions in the Okanagan First Nations history in British Columbia Endorheic lakes of Canada Saline lakes of Canada Lakes of the Okanagan Natural environment based therapies Lakes of British Columbia Similkameen Division Yale Land District Sacred lakes of the Americas

Mineral and salt concentration

Naming and history

Spotted Lake today

See also

References

External links