This large, beautiful lake that we visited in May is a geological rarity. It may be best described as a sinking lake that has holes in the bottom and functions like a plug-less bathtub. In the summer, when runoff is high, it fills faster than it can drain away and the lake appears deep. In fall, as the runoff slows, the water empties, causing the lake to shrink to the size of a small stream. What confused people for a long time was where the water was going, as the lake had no apparent outlet. In the 1960’s, dye was poured into the lake. Scientists were surprised when the dye next surfaced over 10 miles away in the Maligne River. They realized that the water was draining from small holes in the bottom and into an underground cave system. They have been unable to explore the caves, but based on the distance to where the dye was found and the time to get there, they speculate that the cave system is large.
Medicine Lake (Jasper)
