A Brief History of Kalamalka Lake and Its Colours

One Lake Becomes Many

Kalamalka Lake is a glacial lake which remained after the immense Lake Penticton (which covered most of the Okanagan Valley) receded. A study of glacial history in the Okanagan Valley by Hugh Nasmith reveals that:

“Lake Penticton formed a continuous sheet of water extending from north of Vernon to Okanagan Falls… When the level of Lake Penticton in the vicinity of Vernon fell to about 1400 feet, the chain of Kalamalka, Wood, and Ellison Lakes formed a single body of water separated from the main body of Lake Penticton.” (Late Glacial History and Surficial Deposits of the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia 1962 p.35 by Hugh Nasmith)

Today, Kalamalka’s maximum depth has been measured at 142 metres and it is roughly 16 kilometres in length reaching from Coldstream in the north to Oyama in the south where an isthmus separates it from the neighbouring Wood Lake. 

One Lake Becomes Two

At one time, however, Kalamalka Lake and Wood Lake were known as a single lake referred to by the Okanagan First Nations as “Chilutsus” (Chil-loot-sus) meaning “long lake cut in the middle”.  The Lake Country Museum records for us that: “Until the late eighteenth century, the Okanagan People hunted and fished over a wide territory, including Okanagan Lake, Kalamalka Lake and Wood Lake. Heavy goods such as loads of dried venison, fish and berries were transported there from as far away as the Coldstream valley and Silver Star mountain.” (Carol Thomson, Lake Country Museum Blog Sept. 1, 2017)

The isthmus separating the two was called "acyuʔc̕us" (Ac yutz oos) by the Okanagan People and it meant “a narrow crossing with thickly entwined willows (or anything closely intertwined)”. The Indigenous hunters would have to cross this land barrier with their canoes and this is probably why on early colonial maps the isthmus was known as  “The Railroad” which “…likely referred to a rail (corduroy) road made by the Okanagan people by cutting and laying down closely intertwined poles or willows to facilitate their crossing of the isthmus.” (Carol Thomson, Lake Country Museum Blog Sept. 1, 2017)

The Isthmus or “Railroad”: Vintage Postcard

We recognize this land strip today as part of Oyama with Oyama Road running alongside the shore of Wood Lake and Kaloya Regional Park shoring the Kalamalka side. There was once a creek joining the two lakes until 1908 when a navigational canal was built between the two bodies of water and still exists today. It is said that Wood Lake dropped by four feet when the canal was made until it was finally level with Kalamalka Lake.

As was mentioned, the First Nations name for this lake was originally “Chilutsus”. By 1871 though, the White settlers were referring to the northern lake as Long Lake and the southern one was once known as Pelmewash Lake. The name of Pelmewash Lake was later changed to Wood Lake in honour of Thomas Wood, an Eastern Canadian who moved from Vernon and settled there. Today the old highway that runs along Wood Lake has been named “Pelmewash Parkway” to honour the indigenous name. It wasn’t until the early 1950’s that the name “Kalamalka” was officially adopted for the northern lake.

The Colours of the Lake

Kalamalka Lake is “one of a handful of unique bodies of water known as marl lakes” (BC Parks). In the summer as the lake warms, calcium carbonate, or limestone (left by past glaciers), forms crystals that reflect sunlight. This results in a breathtaking array of blue, green and turquoise colours. When the lake cools in the winter the crystals dissolve and the normal blue colour returns. The ever changing colours and hues on the lake, along with its remarkable history and geography, truly solidify it as one of the Okanagan’s most cherished treasures.

Jade Bay depicting some of the colours of Kalamalka Lake

If you liked this blog check out Kalamalka Lake: A Historic Timeline 

"He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul..." 

Psalm 23