Lake Errock/Albert Dyck dives

[DaleC]

Did two dives today in my never ending quest to explore the most obscure freshwater sites in the valley

Lake Errock is situated on Hwy 7 east of Deroche. There is a public beach with easy shore access (but no washroom). After a milfoil zone from 5-20ft I maxed out at a 24ft soft bottom of undisturbed silt. Low vis plus a sterile bottom without even old bottles to keep one entertained. As an amatuer naturalist I was intrigued by two variants of freshwater sponge, an encrusting form and a fingerlike form that I found and I also saw a few small trout, sticklebacks and a school of several hundred minnow/shiner like fish.
Still, not a site I'd recommend to anyone though I may return one more time to dive the cliffs on the opposite shore.

Here's a link with a depth map and info http://www.sharphooks.com/tripplanne...rock&lakeid=57

Albert Dyck/Walmsley lake is a former gravel pit/quarry lake just south of Abbotsford. Two thirds of the lake is leased by the Abbotsford waterski club with no public access so I dove the public beach section. The vis on the surface looked promising but I descended to yet another sterile bottom where the vis got worse and worse. I bottomed out in a depression at 43ft in some of the worst vis I've ever seen (pun intended) 2-3ft max (fingertip). After a bit I realised the particulate was in fact dense living clouds of small suspended animal organisms simular to copepods. There were very few fish but a school of ten or so Bass followed me curiously up near the Milfoil/Egeria (Elodia) zone. Though there was not much in the way of old bottles to scrounge I did find a BMX trick bike in remarkably good condition that my son appreciates.

After the dive I spoke to some members of the waterski club who stated that I could dive the whole quarry as long as no boats were running. I plan a return dive to the mid section of the lake where they reported depths of 70ft. or so.

[BradnerBoy]

When's Mill Lake on the itinerary?

[DaleC]

Double post

[DaleC]

Don't mock me! It's an illness, not a moral issue

Mill lake is out (for now) too high a fecal count though I would like to look along the old narrow gauge railway pilings. But what about Lost and/or Chadsey lakes (on top of Sumas mountain). I'm up for those as soon as I can find a couple of suckers (friends) to help hump my gear for an hour or two into the bush.

Here's a link for Chadsey http://www.sharphooks.com/tripplanne...lake&lakeid=18

Don't believe that little bit about an 800m hike though.

Also on the list:

Hayward resevoir
Rolley lake
Kakawa lake
Silver lake

[sschlesi]

Here's a link for Chadsey Chadsey Lake, Chilliwack, British Columbia

Don't believe that little bit about an 800m hike though.

Chadsey is about 800m from the end of Taggart Road as the crow flies. The trail is probably not much over 1km. I'll volunteer to carry your snorkel.

[DaleC]

Oh my f cking god
I just looked at the map and see that I have been hiking in from a pull off where Bakstad Rd meets Brown Rd. Oh, no thanks I like to take the long way up.

Now that it doesn't seem so bad and Scotts got my snorkel... Anyone else up for some exploratory diving?

[Skookumchuck]

I'll join you for a freshwater rinse in Silver if you want to come out here Dale.