This is the shore of Okanagan Lake in Vernon. I’ve never seen it this colour before.

It doesn’t look good, though.

Normally, it’s the colour of ground-up granite, which around here is pretty colourful, as there is a lot of mixed geology.

But not now! There’s something growing on the lake bottom.

It’s not the whole lake and not the whole shore, but ick.

I’m guessing it’s an effect from last summer’s wildfires across the lake. Ash perhaps, that has washed out here and is up to something. Same as this forest of needles that has washed ashore.

Between the two, they are making a new shore environment. It will get cleared away by the Parks Department, in preparation for building the illusions of a pristine lake environment in time for summer tourists, but right now, stuff is going on. This, too.

I’ve seen that a couple times before, and it’s common on the sea shore. I suspect it’s from the shrimp that were plonked into the lake back in the 1970s to feed Kokanee salmon populations (a complete catastrophe). Whether that’s what it is or not, it’s joining in the fun.

Even the surveillance team couldn’t explain it.

And the lake? Oh, it was saying something about last summer’s ashes.

That’s all.