Tuya Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tuya Lake |
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 Tuya Lake
Location in British Columbia
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| Location | British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 59°04′00″N 130°35′00″W / 59.0666667°N 130.5833333°W |
| Type | oligotrophic |
| Primary inflows | Butte Creek |
| Primary outflows | Tuya River |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 13 km (8.1 mi) |
| Max. width | 3 km (1.9 mi) |
| Average depth | 20 m (66 ft) |
| Max. depth | 54 m (177 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 1,117 m (3,665 ft) |
Tuya Lake is a beautiful lake located in the northwestern part of British Columbia, Canada. Its name likely comes from the unique, flat-topped volcanoes nearby, which are called tuyas. Imagine a volcano with a flat top like a table! The lake is found just south of a place called Tuya Butte. It's pretty far north, around 59 degrees North latitude, and about 131 degrees West longitude.
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Fish Living in Tuya Lake
Tuya Lake is home to several types of fish. Some of these fish have always lived here, meaning they are native species. These include the Arctic grayling (Thymalus arcticus), bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus), longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus), burbot (Lota lota), prickly sculpin (Cottus asper), and slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus).
However, there's also a type of salmon called sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) that lives in Tuya Lake. These salmon are not native to the lake, but they are an important part of its fish community now.
Helping Salmon Populations Grow
Did you know that Canada and the United States work together to protect salmon? In 1985, they created an agreement called the Pacific Salmon Treaty. This treaty helps make sure there are enough salmon for everyone and that fishing is fair.
Because of this treaty, the number of sockeye salmon in the Stikine Water Shed increased by 100,000. Tuya Lake is part of this important watershed, so it benefits from these efforts to help salmon thrive.
Wild Areas Around Tuya Lake
The land around Tuya Lake is mostly wild and untouched. There aren't many towns or cities nearby. People who visit this area usually come for outdoor activities like hunting. It's a great place to see amazing wildlife!
Many different animals live here. You might spot caribou, grizzly bears, moose, mountain goats, black bears, wolfes, and wolverines. The lake also attracts many kinds of birds that live near water, like northern pintails, lesser scaup, and red-throated loons.
Land and Plants in the Region
The area around Tuya Lake is full of interesting landforms. You'll find many mountains, flat-topped plateaus, unique tuya volcanoes, and deep valleys. In the lower areas, there are often wetlands, which are like marshy or swampy lands.
The forests here are made up of different types of trees. You'll see white spruce, willow, birch, and fir trees growing tall and strong.
Water Flowing In and Out
Tuya Lake has water flowing into it and out of it. The main river that flows out of Tuya Lake is the Tuya River. This river travels south or southwest until it joins the larger Stikine River.
Many smaller streams and creeks also flow into Tuya Lake. The most important one is Butte Creek. There are also several other streams that don't have names, all helping to keep Tuya Lake full of water.
