Gordon Bay Provincial Park

Gordon Bay Provincial Park IUCN Category II - National Park
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location	British Columbia (Canada)
surface	51 ha
WDPA ID	65212
Geographical location	48 ° 50 ′  N , 124 ° 12 ′  W Coordinates: 48 ° 50 ′ 10 "  N , 124 ° 11 ′ 52"  W
Setup date	Sep 18 1969
administration	BC parks

Climate diagram
J F. M. A. M. J J A. S. O N D.     306   6th 0     254   8th 0     217   10 2     123   13 3     85   17th 6th     57   20th 9     38   24 11     42   24 11     63   21st 9     201   14th 5     340   8th 2     297   5 0 Temperature in ° C ,  precipitation in mm Source: Canadian Climate Normals 1971-2000 (Lake Cowichan). In: Environment and Climate Change Canada . Retrieved August 20, 2012 .

The Gordon Bay Provincial Park is a 51-hectare Provincial Park in the Canadian province of British Columbia . It is located on the south of Vancouver Island about 35 kilometers northwest of Duncan . The park is easily accessible from Victoria on Highway 1 and Highway 18 (Cowichan Valley Highway) . The park is located in the Cowichan Valley Regional District .

investment

The park, relatively small by Canadian standards, is located in the southwest of Cowichan Lake on Honeymoon Bay . The valley is considered to be the sunniest place on Vancouver Island and is also considered the area with the highest annual average temperature in Canada.
The park is a category II protected area ( national park ).

history

The park was established in 1969. Long before the area became part of a park, however, the lake and its wooded surroundings were already the traditional hunting and fishing area of ​​various tribes of the Lake Cowichan of the First Nations . Because of its relatively easy accessibility, the area was one of the first major commercial logging areas on Vancouver Island.

Flora and fauna

Within the British Columbia ecosystem, the park area is assigned to the Coastal Western Hemlock Zone . These biogeoclimatic zones are characterized by the same or a similar climate and the same or similar biological and geological conditions. This results in a very similar population of plants and animals in the respective zones.

West American hemlocks , Douglas firs , coastal pines , Nootka false cypresses and Sitka spruces mainly grow in the park area , but Rocky Mountain juniper also grows in the park . The forest has an undergrowth of sword ferns and heather plants. The Shallon pear , the common Oregon grape , the alder-leaved rock pear , raspberry and the Igelkraftwurz as well as the Canadian dogwood grow there . The Pacific dogwood can also be found in the park . This protected plant can also be found in the coat of arms of British Columbia.

Numerous mammal species, large and small, such as elk , Columbia black-tailed deer , raccoons and red squirrels live in the park and the surrounding area . There is also a colony of the endangered Vancouver marmots here . Black bears and New World otters also live in the hinterland . The variety of bird life is particularly abundant. Live there among other Juncos , Rotrückenmeisen , red-breasted merganser and various ducks . And the tiaras , the heraldic bird of British Columbia, can also be seen here.

activities

Due to its sunny location, the lake is very popular with the population and serves as a local recreation area. In addition to boating, water skiing and windsurfing are very popular on the lake.

The lake is known for its sensational freshwater fishing in spring, autumn and winter. Anglers can then catch rainbow trout , cutthroat trout and dolly varden trout .

The park has 126 parking spaces for campers and tents and has sanitary facilities with showers.

Web links

• Gordon Bay Provincial Park . In: BC Geographical Names (English)
• Gordon Bay Provincial Park . In: English language website of the park at BC Parks
• Information to the park on britishcolumbia.com (Engl.)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ World Database on Protected Areas - Gordon Bay Park (English)
2. ^ Gordon Bay Provincial Park - Master Plan. (PDF; 1.20 MB) British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks , November 1995, accessed on January 3, 2013 . 
3. ^ Ecosystems of British Columbia. (PDF; 10.31 MB) British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations , February 1991, accessed on January 3, 2013 . 
4. ↑ Biogeoclimatic Zones of British Columbia. British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, accessed May 3, 2016 .