Duncan Lake (British Columbia) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Duncan Lake |
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 Duncan Lake
Location in British Columbia
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| Location | Kootenays, British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 50°26′00″N 116°59′00″W / 50.43333°N 116.98333°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Duncan River |
| Primary outflows | Duncan River |
| Basin countries | Canada |
Duncan Lake is a large, man-made lake located in the beautiful Kootenays region of British Columbia, Canada. It's also known as a reservoir, which means it was created by building a dam to hold back water. This lake is about 45 kilometers (28 miles) long!
The lake gets its water from the Duncan River. This river flows between two big mountain ranges: the Selkirk Mountains to the west and the Purcell Mountains to the east. After the water leaves Duncan Lake, it flows into the top part of Kootenay Lake.
How Duncan Lake Was Created
Duncan Lake was formed when the Duncan Dam was built. Before the dam, there was a natural lake in the same spot. This older, smaller lake was also called Duncan Lake. Sometimes, people called it Upper Kootenay Lake.
When the dam was finished, it held back a lot of water. This caused the area to flood, creating the much larger reservoir we see today. Building dams helps control water flow and can be used to generate electricity.
Who Was John Duncan?
The lake and the river are named after a person called John "Jack" Duncan. He was a "prospector," which means he explored areas looking for valuable minerals like gold.
John Duncan was also interested in politics. He tried to get elected to the colonial Legislative Council of British Columbia. This council was a group of people who helped make laws for the area when it was still a colony, before British Columbia became part of Canada. Even though he ran for election, he didn't win a seat on the council.
