| Shuswap Lake | |
|---|---|
| Copper Island as seen from a beach in Shuswap Lake Provincial Park | |
| The three arms of Shuswap Lake | |
| Location | South-Central British Columbia |
| Primary inflows | Adams River, Scotch Creek, Seymour River, Anstey River, Eagle River, Shuswap River (via Mara Lake/Sicmaous Narrows), Salmon River |
| Primary outflows | Little River |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Average depth | 431 ft |
| Max. depth | 265 m (875 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 360 m (1,180 ft) |
| Islands | 1 |
| Settlements | (see article) |
Shuswap Lake is a lake located in south-central British Columbia, Canada that drains via the Little River into Little Shuswap Lake. Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, a branch of the Thompson River, a tributary of the Fraser River. It is at the heart of a region known as the Shuswap Country or "the Shuswap", noted for its recreational lakeshore communities including the city of Salmon Arm. The name "Shuswap" is derived from the Shuswap or Secwepemc First Nations people, the most northern of the Interior Salish peoples, whose territory includes the Shuswap.
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Shuswap Lake consists of four arms, forming a shape reminiscent of the letter H. The four arms are called Salmon Arm (southwest), Anstey Arm (northeast), Seymour Arm (north), and the main lake (west). Shuswap Lake connects to Little Shuswap Lake via the Little River, which flows from the end of the west arm.
To the north-west it is fed by the Adams River, which drains Adams Lake. Shuswap Lake connects to Mara Lake at the Sicamous Channel. The Shuswap River connects via Mara Lake. In the south-west the Salmon River flows into the lake at Salmon Arm. The Eagle River runs down from the Eagle Pass in the Monashees to enter the lake at Sicamous, in the east. The Seymour River empties into the northern end of the Seymour Arm. In addition to these rivers, numerous creeks feed the lake, including Scotch Creek, which runs south to the north shore of the main arm, near the community of the same name.
Several parks are located on the shores of Shuswap Lake, including:
Communities bordering the Shuswap Lakes include:
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