Buttle Lake is a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are o ...

Strathcona Regional District The Strathcona Regional District is a regional district in British Columbia, Canada. It was created on February 15, 2008, encompassing the northern and western portions of the former Regional District of Comox-Strathcona. The partition left ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada. It is about long and wide, has an area of , is up to deep, and lies at an elevation of . The lake is located between Campbell River and Gold River in Strathcona Provincial Park. The lake is the headwaters of the Campbell River.

History

The lake was named after John Buttle, geologist and botanist from

Kew Gardens Kew Gardens is a botanical garden, botanic garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botany, botanical and mycology, mycological collections in the world". Founded in 1840, from the exotic garden at Kew Park, its li ...

, London, who came to the area with the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

. They mapped the area around the lake in 1865. Buttle explored Vancouver Island as naturalist under Dr Robert Brown as part of the

Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition In 1864 the Vancouver Island Exploring Expedition explored areas of the Colony of Vancouver Island outside the capital of Victoria and settlements in Nanaimo and the Cowichan Valley that were then unknown. The expedition went as far north as the ...

in 1864. He discovered and mapped the lake the next year. During 1955–1958, the Strathcona Dam was built on

Upper Campbell Lake Upper Campbell Lake is a reservoir on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The lake was flooded in 1958 for a large hydroelectric project, which raised the water level by . Crest Creek and headwaters of the Heber River are diverted into t ...

, raising the water level by . The raised water level coalesced Upper Campbell and Buttle Lake, raising the level of Buttle by 5 meters. Prior to the increase of forest at low-lying areas along the shore was harvested, and in many areas not fully cleared. At times of low water, there exist mudflats with stumps remaining from the forests that formerly stood there.

Travel and Activities

Canoeing Buttle Lake, Strathcona Provincial Park

The lake is accessed via Strathcona Provincial Park which is located almost in the center of

. The main access to the park is via Highway 28, which connects with Gold River on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Highway 28 passes through the northern section of the park and provides access to Buttle Lake. There are multiple campgrounds along Buttle Lake. Hiking, swimming, boating, fishing and bicycling are common activities in and nearby.

References

External links

Details at B.C. Adventure
* Lakes of Vancouver Island Nootka Land District Alberni Valley Strathcona Provincial Park {{BritishColumbiaCoast-geo-stub