View source for Mahoney Lake

{{Short description|Lake in British Columbia, Canada}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name            = Mahoney Lake
| iucn_category   = 
| iucn_ref        = 
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| photo           = Winter Morning at Meromictic Mahoney Lake.JPG
| photo_caption   = Winter Morning at [[Meromictic]] Mahoney Lake
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| map             = Canada British Columbia
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| map_size        = 265
| map_caption     = Location within British Columbia
| relief          = 1
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| location        = [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]]
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| coordinates     = {{coord|49|17|24|N|119|34|55|W|display=inline,title}}
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| length          = 
| length_mi       = 
| length_km       = 895
| width           = 
| width_mi        = 
| width_km        = 
| area_ha         = 18
| area_ref        = 
| elevation       = {{convert|472|m|ft|abbr=on}}
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| designation     = 
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| authorized      = 
| created         = 
| designated      = 
| established     = 1972
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}}
'''Mahoney Lake''' is a [[meromictic]] [[saline lake]] located near [[Okanagan Falls]] in British Columbia, Canada.<ref>{{BCGNIS|3956|Mahoney Lake}}</ref> It was established as an ecological reserve to preserve a southern interior saline lake, possessing unique limnological features in 1972.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/eco_reserve/mahoney_er/Mahoney%20Lake%20ER%20130.pdf|title=Mahoney Lake Ecological Reserve}}</ref> It has a unique layering, where the very bottom of the lake is very salt rich and contains [[hydrogen sulphide]] (H<sub>2</sub>S), which facilitates the growth of the [[purple sulphur bacteria]] in the layer above it, where the bacteria has just enough light to grow. The upper layer of the lake consists of a mixing layer of fresh water. Mahoney Lake is alkaline because it features no inflow or outflow of water. The lake also contains very low levels of oxygen and an approximate pH of 7.5-9.0. The surface area of the lake is 18ha and the surface area of the land is 21ha, with combined total of 21 ha.

== Images ==
{{commons category|Lake Mahoney}}
<gallery>
File:Last of the Winter Ice at Saline Lake Mahoney.webm|Last of the Winter Ice
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[List of lakes of British Columbia]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://ecoreserves.bc.ca/portfolio_item/130-mahoney-lake Mahoney Lake ER130] Accessed September 12, 2013.
*[http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/eco_reserve/mahoney_er/Mahoney%20Lake%20ER%20130.pdf Mahoney Lake Ecological Reserve] Accessed September 12, 2013.

{{British Columbia hydrography}}

{{Okanagan communities}}


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[[Category:Tourist attractions in the Okanagan]]
[[Category:Lakes of British Columbia|Mahoney]]
[[Category:Meromictic lakes|Mahoney]]
[[Category:Similkameen Division Yale Land District]]
[[Category:Lakes of the Okanagan]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]


{{OkanaganSimilkameen-geo-stub}}