Puntzi Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Puntzi Lake |
|
|---|---|
 Puntzi Lake
Location in British Columbia
|
|
| Location | Chilcotin District, Central Interior of British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 52°12′00″N 124°00′00″W / 52.20000°N 124.00000°W |
| Primary inflows | Puntzi Creek |
| Primary outflows | Puntzi Creek |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) |
| Max. width | 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) |
| Surface area | 17.06 km2 (6.59 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 22.8 m (75 ft) |
| Max. depth | 44.2 m (145 ft) |
| Water volume | 1.006 km3 (0.241 cu mi) |
| Shore length1 | 16.935 km (10.523 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 956 m (3,136 ft) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Puntzi Lake is a beautiful lake located in the Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia. It sits on the western side of the upper Chilcotin River, a bit northeast of Tatla Lake. The lake is connected to the Chilcotin River by a stream called Puntzi Creek. It's like the lake is a wider part of this creek! The land around Puntzi Lake has been important for many years.
History of Puntzi Lake
Puntzi Lake is one of the bigger lakes in the central Chilcotin area. It is in the heart of the traditional land of the Tsilhqot'in people. Long ago, a large Tsilhqot'in village was located right by the lake.
The Smallpox Epidemic
In 1862, a very serious sickness called the 1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic spread through the area. This disease caused many people to become very ill, and sadly, a large number of the native population passed away. Some reports say that between 50% and 90% of the people were lost.
After the sickness, a person named Reverend Turner visited the village. He found only a few children and older people hiding in their underground houses. Other houses were empty, or only contained those who had died. Some people had been placed in the lake, which was frozen at the time. The people who survived told Reverend Turner a story about a large creature that came from the ice and disturbed the resting places of the dead. The village never fully recovered its population. Today, an Indian Reserve for the Alexis Creek First Nation, called Puntzi Lake Indian Reserve No. 2, is located on the lake's shore. There are also other reserves nearby.
The Chilcotin War
By 1864, a European settler had started living near Puntzi Lake. This settler was one of the first people to be harmed during a conflict known as the Chilcotin War. During this time, Puntzi Lake became a gathering place for the forces of the Colonies. These forces included troops from Victoria, along with Governor Frederick Seymour and his officials. There was also a group of people, mostly Americans from the Cariboo goldfields. This group included Donald McLean, who used to work for the HBC at Fort Kamloops. He came out of retirement to help find the leaders of the Tsilhqot'in uprising. Sadly, Donald McLean died near the lake during these events.
It was in a grassy area near Puntzi Lake that the Tsilhqot'in war leader, Klatassine, surrendered. This marked an important moment in the conflict.
Modern Times
In the early 1950s, Puntzi Mountain, which is close to the lake, became the location of a radar station. This station was part of a defense system called the Pine Tree Line. A large airport and base were built in the area. The runway at this airport is still used today and is known as CYPU. When it was built, it was the second-longest airstrip in British Columbia! Eventually, the base was given to Canada and continued to operate until the mid-1960s.
