| Quamichan Lake Kwamutsun Xatsa' | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Quamichan Lake | |
  Quamichan Lake Kwamutsun Xatsa' | |
| Location | North Cowichan, Vancouver Island |
| Coordinates | 48°48′05″N 123°39′38″W / 48.80139°N 123.66056°W |
| Type | Monomictic lake |
| Part of | Cowichan watershed |
| Primary inflows | McIntyre Creek |
| Primary outflows | Quamichan Creek |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Surface area | 313.4 ha (774 acres) |
| Average depth | 4.7 m (15 ft) |
| Max. depth | 8.2 m (27 ft) |
| Shore length1 | 8,348 m (27,388 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 26 m (85 ft) |
| Islands | Rainbow Island |
| References | [1][2][3] |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Quamichan Lake is a lake in the Cowichan Valley region of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, located three kilometres to the northeast of the City of Duncan.[4]
Quamichan Lake and its sister Somenos Lake were created 11,000 years ago by receding glaciers. Both lakes contribute to Cowichan River. Quamichan Lake's outflow is Quamichan Creek which joins with Somenos Creek, the outflow from Somenos Lake, which flows to Cowichan River.[5]
The Cowichan Watershed Board identifies a common set of conditions for both shallow lakes:[5]
- excessive nutrient loading from the farms and homes which surround the lakes
- insufficient "flushing" in summer due to reduced inflows and truncated outflows
- increased plant growth ("algae-blooms"), and
- eutrophication (reduced oxygen as the vegetation decomposes)
- intensified warming
In autumn 2016, the lake's algae received public attention after news coverage of its killing at least four dogs.[6]
- ^ State of Water Quality of Quamichan Lake 1988-1995. Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. April 1996.
- ^ "Quamichan Lake 2008 - 2011" (PDF). BC Lake Stewardship and Monitoring Program.
- ^ "Quamichan Watershed Management Plan" (PDF). Quamichan Watershed Stewardship Society.
- ^ BC Names/GeoBC entry "Quamichan Lake"
- ^ a b "Quamichan and Somenos Lakes". Cowichan Watershed Board. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ^ Wilson, Deborah (2016-10-28). "Toxic algae suspected in Cowichan-area dog deaths". CBC News.