Buse Lake Abstract

Rather than making waves, a strong wind skims across the top of the water leaving delicate patterns and a layer of white foam along the edge.... more

by Theresa Tahara

Title

Buse Lake Abstract

Artist

Theresa Tahara

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photography

Description

Rather than making waves, a strong wind skims across the top of the water leaving delicate patterns and a layer of white foam along the edge.

Buse Lake is one of the few in the world that is a magenta colour clear through due to one or more forms of purple sulphur bacteria that smell like rotten eggs and only live in lakes where there is no oxygen in the water. All of this is happening in a lake that has other properties akin to water on the moons of Jupiter. With this bacterial bloom, you can only see about 3 centimetres into the water of Buse Lake due to the abundance of the pinky purple pigment in the bacteria. And the colour goes right to the bottom of the lake which is only about 3 metres deep.

Where is the magenta colour? For some strange reason, the lake this year has turned an almost normal colour. My guess is that it may have been too hot this year for the purple sulphur bacteria to live. If you search the internet for Buse Lake in Kamloops, BC you will see pictures of the magenta coloured water.

Today, the lake is conserved within Buse Lake Protected Area, along with a very rare and tiny brine fly that is reported to live there.

Uploaded

August 8th, 2015