Lake Cowichan, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Cowichan Lake is a large freshwater
lake
located on southern Vancouver Island
, British Columbia
, Canada
. It is located along the Cowichan Valley
in the Cowichan Valley Regional District
, with its eastern shore about 28 km (17.4 mi) west of Duncan, British Columbia
. Cowichan Lake is about 30 km (18.6 mi) in length, running mostly from west to east, and is about 4 km (2.5 mi) wide at its widest point. The lake is also the source of the Cowichan River
.
Cowichan Lake has several communities along its shores. The town of Lake Cowichan
is located at the east end of the lake, at the start of the Cowichan River, and is the largest community. Along the south side of the lake are the communities of Mesachie Lake
and Honeymoon Bay
, and also Gordon Bay Provincial Park
. On the north shore is the community of Youbou
.
The Cowichan Valley was once a thriving lumber
centre in British Columbia. In the past, two major railroads had spur lines to and around parts of the lake. With the change in the logging industry, these rail lines have now been abandoned by the railroads and are now part of a major public trail system which leads eastward toward the lower end of the Cowichan Valley. The lake area is largely undeveloped because of the extensive logging by timber companies holding the land surrounding the lake. Currently there are several development projects at new locations around the lake.
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
located on southern Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located along the Cowichan Valley
Cowichan Valley
The Cowichan Valley is a region around the Cowichan River and Cowichan Lake on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. There is some debate as to the origin of the name Cowichan, which many believe to be an anglicized form of the First Nations tribal name Quw'utsun.Communities include...
in the Cowichan Valley Regional District
Cowichan Valley Regional District, British Columbia
The Cowichan Valley Regional District is a regional district in the Canadian province of British Columbia is on the southern part of Vancouver Island, bordered by the Nanaimo and Alberni-Clayoquot Regional Districts to the north and northwest, and by the Capital Regional District to the south and...
, with its eastern shore about 28 km (17.4 mi) west of Duncan, British Columbia
Duncan, British Columbia
Duncan is a city on southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.-History:The community is named after William Chalmers Duncan . He arrived in Victoria in May 1862, then in August of that year he was one of the party of a hundred settlers which Governor Douglas took to Cowichan Bay...
. Cowichan Lake is about 30 km (18.6 mi) in length, running mostly from west to east, and is about 4 km (2.5 mi) wide at its widest point. The lake is also the source of the Cowichan River
Cowichan River
The Cowichan River is a moderately sized river in British Columbia, Canada. It originates in Cowichan Lake, flowing east towards its end at Cowichan Bay. Its drainage basin is in size....
.
Cowichan Lake has several communities along its shores. The town of Lake Cowichan
Lake Cowichan, British Columbia
Cowichan Lake is a large freshwater lake located on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It is located along the Cowichan Valley in the Cowichan Valley Regional District, with its eastern shore about west of Duncan, British Columbia. Cowichan Lake is about in length, running...
is located at the east end of the lake, at the start of the Cowichan River, and is the largest community. Along the south side of the lake are the communities of Mesachie Lake
Mesachie Lake, British Columbia
Mesachie Lake is an unincorporated community on Vancouver Island, Canada. It lies on the south shore of Lake Cowichan. The name is from the Chinook Jargon for "bad, evil, naughty". It was founded in 1942 by the Hillcrest Lumber Company, which built houses for its workers and their families...
and Honeymoon Bay
Honeymoon Bay, British Columbia
Honeymoon Bay is an unincorporated community in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located on Cowichan Lake in the southeastern part of Vancouver Island — approximately northwest of Victoria — at . In 2001, its population was listed as 629....
, and also Gordon Bay Provincial Park
Gordon Bay Provincial Park
Gordon Bay Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada.Gordon Bay is located on the western shore of the south end of Cowichan Lake. The 49 hectare park of second-growth Douglas fir forest is in one of Vancouver Island's sunniest valleys, and is a popular campsite in the...
. On the north shore is the community of Youbou
Youbou, British Columbia
Youbou is a community located on the north shore of Cowichan Lake, west of Duncan and a 25-minute drive west of the community of Lake Cowichan, Canada. The former mill town on Vancouver Island provides a public beach and extensive recreational opportunities, including fishing, boating, and...
.
The Cowichan Valley was once a thriving lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
centre in British Columbia. In the past, two major railroads had spur lines to and around parts of the lake. With the change in the logging industry, these rail lines have now been abandoned by the railroads and are now part of a major public trail system which leads eastward toward the lower end of the Cowichan Valley. The lake area is largely undeveloped because of the extensive logging by timber companies holding the land surrounding the lake. Currently there are several development projects at new locations around the lake.
External links
- Town of Lake Cowichan
- Cowichan Lake District Chamber of Commerce
- Imagine the Cowichan, part of Simon Fraser University's Imagine BC series