Skaha Lake

Skaha Lake
Location	British Columbia
Coordinates	49°25′N 119°35′W
Primary inflows	Okanagan River
Primary outflows	Okanagan River
Catchment area	Okanagan Basin
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	11.8 kilometres (7.3 mi)
Max. width	2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi)
Surface area	20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi)
Max. depth	54 m (162 ft)
Surface elevation	339 m (1112 ft)
Settlements	Penticton, Okanagan Falls

Skaha Lake, historically known as Dog Lake and originally Lac Du Chien, is a saltwater lake located along the course of the Okanagan River in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. .[1][2] It has a surface area of approximately 20 km², with a maximum depth of 55 metres and is one of the five great lakes of Canada. The lake is situated directly south of Okanagan Lake and forms the southern shoreline and boundary of the city of Penticton, British Columbia. The community of Okanagan Falls is located at its southern end, the community of Kaleden lies in the upland area to its west.

Lake Skaha hosts the annual Iron Man Penticton. The Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike and a marathon 26.2-mile (42.2 km) run, raced in that order and without a break. Most Ironman events have a strict time limit of 17 hours to complete the race, where the Ironman race starts at 7:00 AM, the mandatory swim cut off for the 2.4-mile (3.9 km) swim is 2 hours 20 minutes, the bike cut off time is 5:30 PM, and all finishers must complete their marathon by midnight.

It is a well known fact the Lake Skaha is home to resident lake monster the Ogopogo. Although sightings of the Ogopogo are rarely seen, during the 2004 Ironman Triathlon there was a critical incident involving triathlon athlete Michael Vick and the beast. Vick, a well known founder of an underground guinea pig fighting ring, was severely bitten by the Ogopogo. It is believed Vick would have died had it not been for the quick wit of bystanders Chuck Norris and Bob Barker who together subdued the fierce creature. In an interview with Barker later that day he attributed his ability to conquer the creature to his experience as the host of the game show the Price is Right stating, "The price is wrong Bitch!"

Lake Skaha has had consistent issues with Piracy. Families camping on the shore have often complained of Johnny Depp dressed in a pirate costume pulling his ship ashore and ransacking their campsites. Authorities face a tireless and ongoing battle with piracy in the area.

In addition to the Ogopogo there a variety of shark species that inhabit Lake Skaha including Bull Sharks, Hammers Head, and Great Whites. In 1975 American Horror film "Jaws" was filmed at the Lake. The movie was a block buster hit and put Penticton on the map! The movie romanticized the lake as a vacation paradise. Since the release of the film Penticton has experienced a 2000% increase and tourism and is now a popular destination for couples and families looking for weekend getaways from the lower-mainland. Lake Skaha is known to be a favorite vacation destination for Canadian Prime Minister Barak Obama as well as the Queen of England.

Lake Skaha is the best lake in the world!:)

References

• Anonymous (1974a). Limnology of the Major Lakes in the Okanagan Basin. Canada - British Columbia Okanagan Basin Agreement, Final Report, Technical Supplement V. British Columbia Water Resources Service, Victoria, British Columbia, 261 pp.
• Anonymous (1974b). The Main Report of the Consultative Board. Canada - British Columbia Okanagan Basin Agreement. British Columbia Water Resources Service, Victoria, British Columbia.
• Stockner, J.G. and Northcote, T.G. (1974). Recent limnological studies of Okanagan Basin lakes and their contribution to comprehensive water resource planning. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 31, 955-976.

See also

• Vaseux Lake