Watershed
The map below is from a 2006 Hotel Lake Hydrologic Analysis done by KerrWoodLeidal Consulting Engineers. Keep in mind that Hotel Lake is the highest lake in North Pender and all of the water in it arrives primarily from precipitation that falls directly onto the water or into the rather small downsloping watershed (depicted on the map by the black line), that surrounds the lake. This limited access to replenishment, combined with the rather shallow nature of Hotel Lake and a host of other considerations, outlined in the KWL study, means that we all need to be mindful of the delicate balance that currently exists which can easily be upset by long dry summers, over use, pollution, and other factors. Just as important is the preservation of the small number of wetlands that lie inside this watershed; these wetlands slow down runoff and retain water for gradual release into the aquifer and the lake.
Hotel Lake, as a headwater lake, is also a seepage lake. It has virtually no incoming water except rainfall and ground water that is captured in the watershed around the lake. Incoming water from springs or groundwater is often discussed but here it is important to review the altitude differentials involved. Hotel Lake’s surface is 53 metres above sea level and its lake bottom is about 11 metres deep at its deepest point. Nearby (.52km), Garden Bay Lake’s surface level is 37 meters. It is not impossible but it is very hard to make the case that water leaves Garden Bay Lake and manages to navigate the fractured granite and work its way upward 5 metres and into Hotel Lake at its deepest point. If there are any springs or ground-water entering below the lake's surface, it has never been conclusively identified. A better case might be made that water could possibly be escaping Hotel Lake and working its way down to the ocean or even Garden Bay Lake.
Taking a look at Hotel Lake's watershed provides some insight as to how water finds its way into the lake. The east end of the lake, for example, is surrounded by rising terrain that forms a basin in the forest in which water collects in several places. These areas are known and depicted on maps as wetland areas and by studying terrain contours it is possible to depict the likely flow of water as it descends to the lake.
The map below shows known and published wetlands. Suggested flow arrows have been added, all leading towards a low spot in a ravine-like notch in the terrain east of the east-end of the lake. Although not shown on previous maps, this point of collection has the characteristics of a wetland that feeds several short but well-defined creeks that flow into Hotel Lake at its eastern shoreline. The Hotel Lake and its watershed, as we shall explain elsewhere on this website, is an important element in the functioning of the lake and also in the water quality it delivers to downstream watercourses.
