Book

Okanagan Lake is one of the most famous freshwater lakes in Canada, and, arguably, the most important natural feature of the Okanagan Valley. The lake became the centre of human activity after the First Nations people came to the Valley. Community development around Okanagan Lake flourished throughout the last century, bringing an increase in anthropogenic interactions with the freshwater environment. In recent history, Okanagan Lake was the arena of an extensive shipping industry, consisting of passenger and tug steamboats, barges, and ferries, and saw the construction of two floating bridges. In addition, Okanagan Lake received significant attention for various environmental and scientific reasons.

Descend into the depths of this large, deep, and unexplored glacial lake by way of this seminal work – a comprehensive and illustrated investigation into the science and history of the lake. The book features over a decade of personal expeditions conducted by the Institute for Underwater Research (IFUR), and our attempts to learn more about the above and underwater concepts of Okanagan Lake. This book answers questions posed by freshwater fanatics, nature enthusiasts, and inquisitive citizens, such as: What exists at the bottom of the lake?, How did the lake get here?, What physical, geological, and biological processes are at play in the lake?, and How are humans impacting this resource?

The 272 page, full-colour book, investigates subjects such as the science (biology, geology, limnology), and history of the lake. A chapter is dedicated to the history of lake shipping, which includes the historic sternwheelers, tugboats, and construction of the original Okanagan Lake Floating Bridge. The heart of this book is the chapter focusing on the above and underwater research conducted by IFUR, since 2005. In this chapter, we study topics such as the bottom composition, interesting bottom features, aquatic plant classification studies, and geologic discoveries on the lake floor dating back to the early formation of the lake. The majority of information in this chapter, and elsewhere throughout the book, is original material that has never been discussed before.