Must See: Canada's most unusual lake
Canada is home to countless natural wonders. Here's one of them.
There's a lake northwest of Osoyoos in British Columbia, and during the winter and spring, it looks just like any other.
But as temperatures warm up and summer moves in, some of the water evaporates, leaving behind hundreds of yellow, green, and blue brine-filled pools.
The different colours come from a collection of minerals, including calcium, sodium sulphates, and magnesium sulphate, which crystalizes in the summer -- all of which is runoff from the nearby hills. The colour of the pools depends on the concentration of the chemicals within them.
Courtesy: Getty Images.
The waterway -- now called the 'Spotted Lake' -- was originally known to the First Nations of the Okanagan Valley as Kliluk. It's a sacred place that is known for its spiritual and healing powers and has been visited by Indigenous Peoples for centuries.
The lake was dredged for its minerals during WW1, which were used to make ammunition. It has been reported that the mineral dredging has deprived the lake of some of its vibrancy, and that the spotted pools were more colourful before WWI.
Courtesy: Getty Images.
The lake, in addition to 22 hectares of land around it, was purchased by the Okanagan Nation Alliance Chiefs Executive Council in 2001. It has since been restored by the Syilx People.
The lake is fenced in to discourage public access, but visitors are welcome to view the lake from the highway.
