Spotted Lake is an alkaline salty endorheic basin located in British Columbia, Canada, northwest of the locality of Osoyoos, in the Similkameen Valley,of British Columbia, Canada, It is also known as Lake Kliluk.
The small lake is rich in a variety of minerals including calcium, sodium sulphate and magnesium sulphate. During the hot summer months, when a large part of the water in the lake evaporates, the concentrations of these minerals increase and they become visible in different places in the form of pools. These shift in size and color throughout the summer, The colors range from blue to green to yellow.
Originally known to the populations of the Syilx First Nations of the Okanagan valley as Lake Kliluk, Spotted Lake has for centuries been considered a sacred place by the natives, who consider its waters to have therapeutic powers. According to a legend, a fight between rival tribes was interrupted precisely in order to allow for the treatment of the wounded by immersion in the lake. Furthermore, during the First World War, the minerals from the lake were used for the production of ammunition.
the Spotted Lake can be observed from it from a special observation deck, a fence erected at protection of the lake.
Access : Coordinates: 49.07806, -119.56694 / Spotted Lake It is about 10 km northwest of Osoyoos, on Highway 3, just north of the US border.
Highlights :
- Currently, a special fence prevents people from passing to the shores of the lake, as the local Indian tribe does not allow whites to come close to their shrine. To do this, you need to get permission from the elders, which is very difficult. Spotted Lake can be viewed from a stop on the highway, as hundreds of tourists do every day.
- In the hot summer, when water evaporates, a lot of bizarre spots form on the surface of the lake, which, depending on weather conditions, can be painted in different colors.
Go next : Osoyoos , the southernmost town in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia between Penticton and Omak.
