The influence of spatial and temporal variations in wind forcing on the circulation in lakes is investigated using field data and the three-dimensional Estuary and Lake Computer Model (ELCOM) applied to Lake Kinneret. Lake Kinneret field data from six thermistor chains and eight wind anemometers deployed during July 2001 are presented. Internal wave motions are well reproduced by the numerical model when forced with a spatially uniform wind taken from a station near the lake center; however, simulated seiche amplitudes are too large (especially vertical mode 2) and lead observations by 3-10 h (for a 24-h period wave) at different locations around the lake. Consideration of the spatial variation of the wind field improves simulated wave amplitude, and phase error at all stations is reduced to less than 1.5 h. This improvement is attributable to a better representation of the horizontally averaged wind stress and can be reproduced with a spatially uniform wind that has the same horizontally averaged wind stress as the spatially varying wind field. However, a spatially varying wind field is essential for simulating mean surface circulation, which is shown to be predominantly directly forced by the surface-layer-averaged wind stress moment.Wind blowing over a lake surface forms a highly turbulent surface mixing layer. Turbulence rapidly distributes momentum, transferred from wind to water, over the depth of this layer such that (initially) the surface water moves downwind as a slab (Spigel and Imberger 1980). Basin-scale, windinduced motions depend on interactions of spatially and temporally varying wind forcing with bathymetry, density distribution, and the earth's rotation. These motions include basin-scale internal waves driven by temporal variations in

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On 4 August 2014, a catastrophic breach of the Mount Polley mine tailings impoundment released ~25 M m3 of tailings and water and scoured an unknown quantity of overburden into the West Basin of Quesnel Lake. We document Quesnel Lake and Quesnel River observations for 2 months postspill. Breach inflows raised Quesnel Lake by 7.7 cm, equivalent to ~21 M m3. The West Basin hypolimnion was modified immediately, exhibiting increased temperature (~5°C to 6–7.5°C), conductivity (110 to 160 μS/cm), and turbidity (<1 to 200–1000 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU)). Cooscillating seiches moved West Basin hypolimnetic water both westward and eastward contaminating the Main Basin. Postspill, high‐turbidity water propagated eastward (~1 cm/s), introducing a persistent ~20 m thick layer below the thermocline and an ~30 m thick layer at the bottom. The contaminant introduction, mobilization, and bioaccumulation may pose risks to resident and anadromous fish stocks, which support recreational, commercial, and First Nations fisheries.

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