Lake Koocanusa

BC

Public Space

It is a lake in British Columbia where the waters are clean and crisp. It is a great place to camp with the kids and is full of memories for many people. It is called Koocanusa because it is a river that is dammed, the Kootney river, hence the KOO part of the name; it is partly in CANada and the other part is in the USA.. That is why it is called KOO CAN USA.

People fish, boat, camp, motor bike, quad, and enjoy the beach at Lake Koocanusa. Anyone can camp around the area in designated campgrounds or for free around the lake. It's a great place to bring the kids. It is a great place to visit in the summer because it is warm and sunny. People from all over BC and Alberta go camping here every year. Since it is only a river that is dammed to create the Lake it is always clean, fresh, mountain water that fills it up every year. The area is not overly developed and is surrounded by government land. So the impact on the natural area is limited. There is a group that protects the land in the area making sure that it is not overdeveloped. In fact, there are mostly farms and campgrounds around the lake. No condos and housing.

I think for my family, it is a place where we can go every year that is not far from Calgary (3.5 hours). It is a quiet place to vacation and camp. It takes us away from the hustle and bustle of city life. For the last 15 years that we have been visiting the area we have seen very few new developments, so it is relatively quiet and natural.