Columbia Lake is located in the Columbia Valley in southeastern
British Columbia. The Lake has several small tributaries originating in the
Selkirk Mountains to the west and the
Rocky Mountains to the east. Columbia Lake constitutes the primary headwaters for the
Columbia River. Columbia Lake is mentioned in different correspondences all having to do with the
Kootenay Gold Rush. For example, in
this correspondence,
Seymour reports the discovery of gold on the
Kootenay River to
Cardwell and expresses his concern about its proximity to the United States and its distance
from
New Westminster.
Seymour suggests possible routes to connect the mines to more populated centers within the
colony, one route being the
Columbia River via
steam navigation up to its source in Columbia Lake, which are close to the Kootenay diggings.