Vaseux Lake is a freshwater lake located along the course of the Okanagan River in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. The lake has the towns Okanagan Falls to the north, and Oliver to the south. The lake stage is controlled by McIntyre Dam. Vasuex Creek (and the associated alluvial fan) are to the south, near McIntyre Bluff; however, it does not flow into Vaseux Lake.
British Columbia Highway 97 runs alongside the east shore of the lake and has a sharp hairpin turn which has been the scene of many accidents and deaths.
The name "vaseux" is French, meaning muddy or murky, which is descriptive of the lake's silty water. The lake was likely named by French Canadian fur traders.
The lake was misspelled as "Vasuix Lake" on Joseph Trutch's maps from 1866 and 1871. For many years the name was later misspelled "Vaseaux Lake"; in 1945 the Geographic Board of BC corrected the official name to its present form.
Famous quotes containing the word lake:
“Such were the first rude beginnings of a town. They spoke of the practicability of a winter road to the Moosehead Carry, which would not cost much, and would connect them with steam and staging and all the busy world. I almost doubted if the lake would be there,—the self-same lake,—preserve its form and identity, when the shores should be cleared and settled; as if these lakes and streams which explorers report never awaited the advent of the citizen.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)