Nanaimo Lakes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nanaimo Lakes |
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First Lake
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 Nanaimo Lakes
Location in Vancouver Island
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| Location | Regional District of Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 49°06′00″N 124°10′15″W / 49.10000°N 124.17083°W |
| Etymology | Snuneymuxw First Nation – city of Nanaimo |
| Part of | Nanaimo River |
| Catchment area | At least 23,000 hectares (57,000 acres) |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 4 miles (6.4 km) |
| Surface elevation | 210 metres (690 ft) |
The Nanaimo Lakes are a group of lakes found on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. They include First, Second, and Third Lakes, which are natural lakes. There's also a Fourth Lake, which is a reservoir created by a dam on the Nanaimo River. These lakes are an important part of the Nanaimo River system.
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Exploring the Lakes' Location
The Nanaimo Lakes are located in a special area. This area is between the mountains of southern Vancouver Island Ranges and the lower lands of Nanaimo.
Maps from Natural Resources Canada show these lakes clearly. Sometimes, the names of the lakes might not appear on all online maps. For example, Third Lake might be harder to find on some maps.
First Lake and Second Lake are about 210 meters (689 feet) above sea level. A short stream connects these two lakes.
The Four Lakes
There are four main lakes that make up the Nanaimo Lakes system:
- First Lake 49°05′45″N 124°10′00″W / 49.09583°N 124.16667°W: This is a natural lake. It is about 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) long.
- Second Lake 49°05′45″N 124°13′00″W / 49.09583°N 124.21667°W: This is also a natural lake. It is about 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) long, similar to First Lake.
- Third Lake 49°05′10″N 124°19′12″W / 49.08611°N 124.32000°W: This natural lake is much smaller than First and Second Lakes.
- Fourth Lake 49°03′31″N 124°25′12″W / 49.05861°N 124.42000°W: This is not a natural lake. It is a reservoir, which means it was created by building a dam. It is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) long and covers an area of 2 square kilometers. The dam at Fourth Lake is privately owned. It holds about 38 million cubic meters of water. This water is used for a paper mill.
Fun Activities at the Lakes
The Nanaimo Lakes area offers several outdoor activities.
Timberwest owns land around First Lake. They have four campsites there for people to enjoy.
For many years, First Lake was a popular spot for fishing. Starting in 1905, up to 30,000 salmon or trout were put into the lake each year. This helped make sure there were enough fish for people to catch.
Fourth Lake is a great place for kayaking. You can paddle around and explore the reservoir.
A Surprise from World War II
In March 1945, during World War II, something unusual landed at the Nanaimo Lakes. It was a special type of balloon bomb called a Fu-Go balloon bomb. These balloons were made in Japan and launched to float across the Pacific Ocean.
This particular balloon bomb did not explode when it landed. Its firing parts did not work correctly. Because it didn't detonate, experts from Canada and America were able to find it. They studied it to learn more about how it was made.
