Sproat Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sproat Lake |
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Fall colours at Sproat Lake
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 Sproat Lake
Location in Vancouver Island
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| Location | Vancouver Island, British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 49°16′N 125°02′W / 49.267°N 125.033°W |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Surface area | 3,775 ha (9,330 acres) |
| Average depth | 74 m (243 ft) |
| Max. depth | 195 m (640 ft) |
| Shore length1 | 90.8 km (56.4 mi) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Sproat Lake is a beautiful lake located in the middle of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Local Indigenous people used to call it Kleecoot, which means "wide open."
The lake looks a bit like a cross with four arms. It stretches for over 25 kilometres and has a shoreline of 90.8 kilometres. Sproat Lake is famous for being home to the last Martin Mars waterbombers. These huge planes help fight forest fires. The lake is also a very popular spot for summer fun near Port Alberni. Highway 4 runs along its northern side.
Sproat Lake is special because it has a small group of Marbled Murrelets that stay there in winter. These birds also build their nests in the area. They are the only freshwater alcids (a type of seabird) found anywhere on Earth.
History of Sproat Lake
Sproat Lake is a popular place for vacations. But it is also important to archaeologists. These are scientists who study old human history. They have found signs that people lived here a very long time ago.
The K’ak’awin petroglyphs are ancient rock carvings found near the lake. They might show a mythical sea creature or a real one from long ago. Many people think ancestors of the Nootka people from British Columbia carved them. However, scientists do not have strong proof of this. We do not know much about the people who created these carvings.
Until 1864, the lake was known by its Nootka name, Kleecoot. Then, Robert Brown renamed it. He was part of the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition. He named it Sproat Lake to honor Gilbert Malcolm Sproat. Gilbert Sproat was a businessman and a government official.
Fighting Forest Fires
In 1959, a group of British Columbia forest companies bought four large planes. These were Martin JRM Mars flying boats. They were originally built for the United States Navy during World War II. The companies formed a group called Forest Industries Flying Tankers (FIFT). They wanted to use these planes to fight forest fires.
The planes were taken to Victoria, British Columbia, to be changed. Workers put a large tank inside each plane. This tank could hold 6,000 imperial gallons of water. The planes also got special scoops. These scoops could pick up 30 tons of water from the lake in just 22 seconds while the plane was moving. Later, some fuel tanks were changed into water tanks too. These planes became very important for fighting forest fires.
Parks to Explore
Sproat Lake is surrounded by many homes. It also has three provincial parks along its shores. These parks are great places to visit and enjoy nature. They are Sproat Lake Provincial Park, Taylor Arm Provincial Park, and Fossli Provincial Park.
Images for kids
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A calm morning at Sproat Lake Provincial Park.
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A small panoramic view of the lake.
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Mount Arrowsmith seen from Sproat Lake.
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A wide view of Sproat Lake in British Columbia.
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Another beautiful shot of Sproat Lake.
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