Sumas Lake was a body of water between Sumas

Sumas Peak

Sumas Peak is an official name for the summit of Sumas Mountain, which is located in the on the south shore of the Fraser River in the Fraser Valley between Abbotsford and Chilliwack, British Columbia. Elevation above sea level, prominence...

 and Vedder

Vedder Mountain

Vedder Mountain is a mountain located in the Fraser Valley between the village of Yarrow and the village of Cultus Lake. It stands 924 m high and is tree covered to its summit with some open areas. A hiking trail crosses the mountain. Old logging roads are also present....

 mountains, midway between the present-day cities of Chilliwack

Chilliwack, British Columbia

Chilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. It is a predominantly agricultural community with an estimated population of 80,000 people. Chilliwack is the second largest city in the Fraser Valley Regional District after Abbotsford. The city is surrounded by mountains and...

 and Abbotsford

Abbotsford, British Columbia

Abbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,...

, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. Its name means "a big level opening" and is a reference to the site of the lake, which lay between Sumas Mountain

Sumas Mountain (British Columbia)

Sumas Mountain, aka referred to as Canadian Sumas to distinguish it from an identically-named mountain just south in Washington state, is a relatively large mountain rising from the floodplain of the Fraser River in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada...

 and its American counterpart, Sumas Mountain

Sumas Mountain

Sumas Mountain is a mountain located in Whatcom County, Washington, 15 miles northeast of Bellingham and southwest of Vedder Mountain. Located in the Skagit Range the mountain is notable for its high biodiversity and year-round hiking trails. It is sometimes referred to as American Sumas to...

, Washington, part of the foothills of the Cascade Mountains

North Cascades

The North Cascades are a section of the Cascade Range of western North America. They span the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington and are officially named in Canada as the Cascade Mountains...

. The lake extended into Whatcom County, Washington, necessitating a railway trestle of the British Columbia Electric Railway

British Columbia Electric Railway

The British Columbia Electric Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in southwestern British Columbia.Originally the parent company, and later a division, of BC Electric, the BCER operated public transportation in southwestern British Columbia from its establishment in the...

 across it from Huntingdon

Huntingdon, British Columbia

Huntingdon is a community within Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. It is located immediately north of the Canada - US Border. The main road through the community is Highway 11. The name of the community is also the present name of the border crossing connecting to Sumas, Washington...

 to the foot of Vedder Mountain remains today as a dyke.

Originally, the lake occupied 40 km² (15 mi²) and swelled to 120 km² (47 mi²) during flooding. The lake was drained in order to create more farmland in the fertile region of the Fraser Valley

Fraser Valley

The Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The term is sometimes used to refer to the Fraser Canyon and stretches upstream from there, but in general British Columbian usage of the term refers to the stretch of the...

 and also to reduce mosquito infestations in the region. The flow from the Vedder (Chilliwack) River

Vedder River

The Vedder River, called the Chilliwack River above Vedder Crossing, is a river in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington....

 was redirected into the Vedder Canal in 1924 under a plan developed by engineer Fred Sinclair, effectively draining the lake. Another drainage channel, the Sumas Lake Canal, runs along what is now Sumas Prairie's northwest side at the foot of Sumas Mountain

Sumas Mountain (British Columbia)

Sumas Mountain, aka referred to as Canadian Sumas to distinguish it from an identically-named mountain just south in Washington state, is a relatively large mountain rising from the floodplain of the Fraser River in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada...

.

External links

• Yarrow Pioneers: Vedder River Flats and Majuba Hill Pioneer settlers