Nine kilometres west of Osoyoos, BC, on Highway 3, is Spotted Lake. And it is no ordinary lake. Covering 38 acres, Spotted Lake contains one of the world’s highest concentrations of minerals, which include calcium, magnesium, titanium and sulfrate just to name a few.
During the summer, most of the water evaporates, crystallizing the minerals and causing the mud to form different coloured circles, depending on what minerals are in the circle area. It is not uncommon to see white, blue, yellow or green circles, making the lake very colourful.
Spotted Lake is also considered a sacred site, as the mud and waters were believed to alleviate aches and pains. Back in World War One, the minerals were harvested and shipped to use in the manufacture of ammunition. The lake is on private land, and is therefore not accessible, but you can get a good view of it from the highway.
I’ve never heard of this lake before, and have lived in BC all my life. Very cool.