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Spotted Lake, Canada |
Spotted Lake in Canada, known as a beautiful lake with colorful polka-dot motifs. In contrast to other lakes that are famous for their beautiful water colors, Spotted Lake actually has a unique motif, in the form of a large expanse of spots of various colors, which can be seen filling the lake. Unfortunately, these unique colorful motifs can only be seen in summer.
Spotted Lake is an endorheic alkaline lake, that is, a lake with a high concentration of carbonate salts, which has no outflow, however, has a very high evaporation rate. The lake, which is located in a hilly area, northwest of Osoyoos, British Colombia, Canada, stretches for 0.7 km, with a width of 0.25 km.
Spotted Lake is rich in various minerals, especially magnesium sulfate, calcium, and sodium sulfate. In addition, Spotted Lake also contains small amounts of silver and titanium.
Spotted Lake gets its water supply from melting snow. When the snow in the hills begins to melt, the water rich in various minerals from the hills flows down into the lake. Spotted Lake will be filled with water, and mineral content will settle below the surface.
Like other endorheic lakes, Spotted Lake has no outflow. however, this lake has a very high evaporation rate, especially in summer.
In winter to spring, Spotted Lake will look like an ordinary lake. However, in summer, when the lake water recedes, a beautiful view of colorful spots will be seen filling the lake.
The colorful spots come from various minerals that settle at the bottom of the lake. This happens because the evaporation process is very high in summer, so the lake water decreases rapidly.
The evaporation process will leave a lot of mineral deposits that crystallize in various colors at the bottom of the lake. The various colors of the sediment depend on the composition of the minerals that make it up.
Mineral deposits in various colors and sizes, will refract, and produce a view of large yellow, blue, and green spots, which are very beautiful, visible on the surface of the lake. The existence of these colorful spots is also what causes this lake to be called Spotted Lake.
In order to maintain the beauty of Spotted Lake, a guardrail has been built around the lake, which prevents visitors from doing activities that can damage the lake's environment. Warning signs are also installed to warn visitors that Spotted Lake is a cultural area and a sacred place for the Okanagan Sylk community. However, the beauty of Spotted Lake can still be seen clearly, from outside the guardrail.
The Okanagan Shilk people who are one of the Native Americans who inhabit the Okanagan Valley area, for centuries have known Spotted Lake as a sacred place, where the water is believed to have healing powers. They call this lake by the name Kliuluk.
During the First World War, the mineral content contained in Spotted Lake was even used as material for the manufacture of ammunition. Workers haul large quantities of minerals from the lake. And this activity takes place every day, so the mineral content of Spotted Lake is shrinking quite a lot. As a result, the color variation of Spotted Lake's large spots is reduced. Spotted Lake today is not as beautiful as it used to be, before the First World War.