Sooke Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sooke Lake |
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 Sooke Lake
Location in Vancouver Island
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| Location | Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada |
| Coordinates | 48°33′20.1″N 123°41′49.2″W / 48.555583°N 123.697000°W |
| Type | Natural lake, Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Rithet Creek |
| Islands | Exploration Island and numerous others |
Sooke Lake is a natural lake located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is super important because it acts as the main water supply, or reservoir, for about 350,000 people. These people live in the Greater Victoria area.
The water from Sooke Lake is managed by the Capital Regional District. This is like the local government group in charge of services for the region. The lake holds a huge amount of water. It has a usable supply of 92.7 million cubic meters. The total amount it can hold is 160.32 million cubic meters.
A stream called Rithet Creek is the main source of water flowing into Sooke Lake. It provides about 25% of the lake's water supply. The entire area that collects water for the lake, called the watershed, covers about 8,620 hectares.
How Sooke Lake Became a Reservoir
Sooke Lake was chosen to become a major water reservoir a long time ago. The plan to develop it was approved in 1910. Construction work began just two years later, in 1912.
Building the Dam
To make the lake hold more water, a concrete dam was built. This dam raised the water level by about 3.7 meters (12 feet). This made the lake much larger and able to store more water for the growing population.
The Sooke Flowline Aqueduct
Once the dam was finished, a special concrete channel was needed to move the water. This channel was called the Sooke Flowline. It was a very long aqueduct, stretching about 44 kilometers (27 miles). The flowline carried water all the way from the lake to the city of Victoria. The entire project, including the dam and the flowline, was completed in 1915.
