My Watermark is Hague Lake, located in British Columbia, where I grew up.

On the coast of B.C. there is an island called Cortes. On that island, there is a place called Hague Lake. This lake contains a smaller lake of its own.

Every summer my friends and I swim out to the island. Upon reaching it, we would spend hours on top of the cliffs that rise straight out of the water, waiting for someone to build up the courage to jump. Every cliff has its own name: The Chair (30ft), The Dipp (50ft), The Black Stripe (60ft), and Death Valley (70 to 80ft). Those who have leapt from the highest peaks are entrenched in local lore. My friends older brother who dove off The Black Stripe, where few dare to jump. The daring local fire chief who jumped from a peak which overlooks another, soaring over the people below.

That lake is a special place. While canoes use it everyday, an unspoken rule in the community forbid powerboats of any kind. Despite this, the lake is not untouched by human influenced. In recent years algae has bloomed increasingly often. Scientists blame this phenomenon on pollution and rising temperatures. Our swims to the islands, once so clean, now smell vaguely of fish. I really hope that Hague Lake will continue to be a special place.