Type reservoir Basin countries Canada Outflow location Columbia River | Primary outflows Columbia River Province British Columbia | |
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Primary inflows Inflow source Canoe River, Columbia River Similar Mica Dam, Rocky Mountains, Kicking Horse Pedestria, Northern Lights Wildlife W, Arrow Lakes | ||
Kinbasket lake 2016
Kinbasket Lake (or Kinbasket Reservoir) is a reservoir on the Columbia River in southeast British Columbia, north of the city of Revelstoke and the town of Golden. The reservoir was created by the construction of the Mica Dam. The lake includes two reaches, Columbia Reach (to the south) and Canoe Reach (to the north), referring to the river valleys flooded by the dam. To the north it almost reaches the town of Valemount in an impoundment of the Canoe River. To the south it reaches upstream the Columbia River towards the city of Golden.
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Map of Kinbasket Lake, British Columbia, Canada
The original, smaller Kinbasket Lake was named in 1866 after Kinbasket, a chief of the Shuswap people. The modern, large lake was created after the completion of the Mica Dam in 1973, and was called McNaughton Lake (after Andrew McNaughton) until 1980.
A number of small communities were inundated by the creation of Kinbasket Lake, and comprised a region known as the Big Bend Country, a subregion of the Columbia Country. Among these towns were Mica, Big Bend, Downie, Boat Encampment and La Porte.