Carpenter Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carpenter Lake |
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Carpenter Lake
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 Carpenter Lake
Location in British Columbia
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| Location | British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 50°51′N 122°30′W / 50.850°N 122.500°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Bridge River |
| Primary outflows | Tunnel/penstock to Seton Lake, Bridge River |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 50 km (31 mi) |
| Surface area | 50 km2 (19 sq mi) |
Carpenter Lake, also known as Carpenter Lake Reservoir, is a large man-made lake in British Columbia, Canada. It's the biggest of three special lakes created for the Bridge River Power Project. This project helps create electricity for many homes and businesses.
The lake is located in the mountains west of Lillooet, British Columbia. It is about 185 kilometers (115 miles) north of Vancouver, a major city in the province. Carpenter Lake was formed in 1951. This happened when the Bridge River was redirected by the Terzaghi Dam. The water now flows through a tunnel in Mission Mountain and into Seton Lake. Building this project changed the valley forever. Some old farms and homes in the upper Bridge River area were covered by the new lake.
Carpenter Lake is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) long. Its total area is around 50 square kilometers (19 square miles). The water level in the lake changes a lot. Because of this, the upper parts of the lake, past the old gold mining town of Minto City, often become muddy areas.
Why is it called Carpenter Lake?
The lake is named after a man simply known as Mr. Carpenter. He was an engineer who moved to Canada in 1909. Mr. Carpenter did a lot of the early design work for the power project. He worked for a company called Sanderson and Porter. From 1927 to 1931, he also oversaw the building of the first tunnels through Mission Ridge. He retired from his work in 1944.
