Some Comparisons in the Thermal Structure of Lakes Wood, Kalamalka, Okanagan, Skaha, and Osoyoos, British Columbia

Abstract

The rate of change of heat contents in the lakes and the relative ability of each lake to transfer heat vertically to warm its hypolimnion was investigated. Rates of warming of hypolimnion water ranged from 0.06 C/month in Okanagan to 0.54 C/month in the north basin of Osoyoos. All lakes reached maximum static stability through the thermocline in late August except for Osoyoos (N), which reached its maximum somewhat earlier. Maximum heat content ranged from 18,100 cal/cm2 in Wood Lake to 33,300 cal/cm2 in Lake Okanagan. Maximum values of heat content were observed in late August in all lakes.There is a direct relation between the hypolimnetic warming rates and the maximum observed stability in the thermocline regions of all the lakes. However, the relatively low rate of Lake Wood indicates that there is an external cooling source such as groundwater influx. The late summer increase in volume of the epilimnion in Wood and the corresponding entrainment of nutrients from the hypolimnion to the epilimnion appear to control the amount of production observed at that time.