Sproat Lake Provincial Park
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Sproat Lake Provincial Park
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 Petroglyphs on Sproat Lake |
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| location | Vancouver Island , ( British Columbia , Canada ) | |
| surface | 43 hectares | |
| WDPA ID | 65419 | |
| Geographical location | 49 ° 18 ′ N , 124 ° 56 ′ W | |
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| Setup date | June 6, 1966 | |
| administration | BC parks | |
The Sproat Lake Provincial Park is a 43-hectare Provincial Park in the Canadian province of British Columbia . The park is located relatively in the center of Vancouver Island , about 10 kilometers west of Port Alberni . It is located directly on Highway 4 , which connects the east and west coast of the island.
investment
The park is relatively small by Canadian standards and is located on the north side of Sproat Lake . The park is intersected by Highway 4. The larger of the two campsites and the two picnic areas are located directly on the lake, while the smaller camping area is separated from the lake and the sanitary facilities there by the highway.
The park is a category II protected area ( national park ).
history
Before the area became a park, it was called Smith's Landing and was a recreation area named after George Smith, a local farmer. The park was then handed over to the province of British Columbia in 1966 by the timber company MacMillan Bloedel, now Weyerhaeuser .
The lake that gave the park its name was named after one of the early settlers and businessmen. Gilbert Malcolm Sproat reached Vancouver Island in 1860 and set up a sawmill on the nearby Alberni Canal.
However, it is also true of this park that long before the area was settled by immigrants or it became part of a park, it was already the traditional hunting and fishing area of various First Nations tribes . This can be demonstrated particularly impressively by the petroglyphs discovered on the lakeshore . Unfortunately, the exact meaning of the characters called "K'ak'awin" is not known.
Flora and fauna
British Columbia's ecosystem is divided into different biogeoclimatic zones using the Biogeoclimatic Ecological Classification (BEC) Zoning System . Biogeoclimatic zones are characterized by a fundamentally identical or very similar climate and the same or very similar biological and geological conditions. This results in a very similar population of plants and animals in the respective zones. Within this system, the park area is assigned to the Coastal Douglas Fir Zone .
In the park area mainly the Douglas fir , but also the giant tree of life grows . The sugar maple also grows on the banks of the park . The forest has an undergrowth of ferns and heather. The Shallon peach berries , the raspberries , the common Oregon grape and the silky dogwood grow here . The Pacific dogwood is also found here . This protected plant can also be found in the coat of arms of British Columbia.
Due to the size of the park, mainly small mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians as well as fish can be found here. Larger animals such as the elk , especially the Roosevelt elk ( Cervus elaphus roosevelti ) or the black bear, migrate through the park from the surrounding areas, mainly in winter . Among other things, the diademed jay or the collar thrush come from the bird world . In the lake there are mainly rainbow trout (both stationary and anadromous migratory forms , differentiated in English as rainbow trout and steelhead trout ) and cutthroat trout .
activities
The lake is very popular with the population, not just that of Port Alberni, and serves as a recreational area. In addition to boating, water skiing and windsurfing are common on the lake. There are also plenty of houseboats on the lake.
The lake is known for its freshwater fishing in spring, autumn and winter and is popular with anglers.
The Martin Mars type water bombers stationed on the lake represent a special tourist attraction . The base of the operating company is directly adjacent to the park and could be visited at times. After the contract with the province of British Columbia expired, the Hawaii Mars was the last machine to be used as a fire-fighting aircraft again in the summer of 2015 .
The park has two tent sites with 44 and 15 spaces respectively for campers and tents and has simple sanitary facilities with a shower.
Web links
- Sproat Lake Provincial Park . In: BC Geographical Names (English)
- Sproat Lake Provincial Park . In: English language website of the park at BC Parks
- Information to the park on britishcolumbia.com (Engl.)
Individual evidence
- ↑ World Database on Protected Areas - Sproat Lake Park (English)
- ↑ Biogeoclimatic Zones of British Columbia. British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations , accessed May 19, 2016 .
- ↑ Master Plan. (PDF, 1.6 MB) British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks , May 1989, accessed March 12, 2013 .
- ^ Ecosystems of British Columbia. (PDF, 10.31 MB) British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, February 1991, accessed on March 12, 2013 .
- ↑ Martin Mars water bomber dropped nine loads on fire near Nelson, BC (No longer available online.) Www.theprovince.com, July 20, 2015, archived from the original on July 22, 2015 ; accessed on August 28, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Martin One-month deal revives Martin Mars water bomber. www.timescolonist.com, July 8, 2015, accessed August 28, 2015 .
