Spotted Lake - a sacred saline lake near Osoyoos, in the eastern Similkameen Valley of British Columbia, Canada.
Sacred site: it's a revered healing place for the Syilx (Okanagan) People, considered a place of medicine for centuries. In 1979, the Okanagan Elders and Chiefs wrote the Statement of the Okanagan Tribal Chiefs on Spotted Lake, reflecting the voice of the Syilx people.
In 2001, the Okanagan Nation Alliance and the federal government finalized acquisition of the 56-acre site for the use and benefit of the Okanagan First Nation.
it's closed to the public - visitors aren't permitted down to the lake without a tour, though you can view it from a pull-in beside Highway.
The "spots".
The lake is rich in magnesium sulfate, calcium and sodium sulphates, plus traces of silver and titanium, and as water evaporates each summer, these minerals crystallize into distinct, colorful circular pools.
Best time to see the spots.
The lake is full of water and the spots aren't very visible in spring.
As summer heat causes evaporation (peaking around July–September), the mineral pools become vivid blues, greens, yellows, depending on concentration.
Cultural and ecological significance.
It is known as kłlilx'w to the Syilx (Okanagan) People, and considered as a sacred medicine lake. It has been revered for centuries as a place of healing - each spot believed to hold its own medicinal properties.
