Wollaston Lake
  • ᒌᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᕽ
  • cîkahikan sâkahikanihk (Woods Cree)
NASA image of Wollaston Lake
Wollaston Lake is located in Saskatchewan
Wollaston Lake
Wollaston Lake
Location of Wollaston Lake in Saskatchewan
Wollaston Lake is located in Canada
Wollaston Lake
Wollaston Lake
Wollaston Lake (Canada)
LocationNorthern Saskatchewan Administration District
Coordinates58°15′N 103°20′W / 58.250°N 103.333°W / 58.250; -103.333
TypeGlacial lake
Primary inflowsGeikie River
Primary outflowsFond du Lac River (10%) Cochrane River (90%)[1]
Catchment area20,000 km2 (7,700 sq mi)
Basin countriesCanada
Surface area2,681 km2 (1,035 sq mi)
Average depth20.6 m (68 ft)
Max. depth97 m (318 ft)
Water volume39.8 km3 (32,300,000 acre⋅ft)
Shore length11,475 km (917 mi)
Surface elevation398 m (1,306 ft)
Islands
  • Horton Island
SettlementsWollaston Lake
References[2][3][4][5][6]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Wollaston Lake[7] (Woods Cree: ᒌᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᕽ, romanized: cîkahikan sâkahikanihk, lit. 'at hatchet/axe lake') is a lake in north-eastern part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is about 550 kilometres (340 mi) north-east of Prince Albert. With a surface area of 2,286 square kilometres (883 sq mi) (excluding islands; 2,681 square kilometres (1,035 sq mi) if islands are included),[6] it is the largest bifurcation lake in the world – that is, a lake that drains naturally in two directions.[8]

About 10% of the lake's water drains into the Fond du Lac River, which flows out of the lake to the north-west, where it drains into Lake Athabasca, which ultimately drains into the Arctic Ocean via the Mackenzie River system. The rest of the water drains into the Cochrane River, which flows out of the north-eastern side of the lake and into Reindeer Lake, which drains via the Churchill River system into Hudson Bay.[1]

Wollaston Lake's main inflow is the Geikie River which flows from the south-west into the south-west section of the lake. If Hudson Bay is considered an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, then the Geikie is the largest river in the world to flow naturally into two oceans.

Wollaston Lake is also the largest lake entirely within Saskatchewan, although the Saskatchewanian portions of Lake Athabasca and Reindeer Lake are both larger.

Samuel Hearne learned of the lake in 1770 and David Thompson noted in 1796 the dual outlets as "perhaps without parallel in the world".[9] In 1807, Peter Fidler named the lake after William Hyde Wollaston.

The only settlement on its shores is also named Wollaston Lake. The settlement includes the northern hamlet of Wollaston Lake with a population of 129[10] and the adjacent village of Wollaston Post of the Hatchet Lake Dene Nation with a population of 1,251.[11][12][13]

Access

Access to the lake is provided by the community airstrip (Wollaston Lake Airport) and an all-weather road (Highway 905) to La Ronge.[13] This road passes by the western side of the lake, while the community of Wollaston Lake is located on the eastern side, but the lake can be crossed by a winter road when the lake is frozen (November through June)[5] and by the Wollaston barge when it is not.[13] Air service is also provided to Points North Landing, a service centre for nearby uranium mines. This industry provides jobs for local residents, but has raised concerns over possible contamination of the lake.

On the west side of the lake at Collins Bay,[14] near Collins Creek,[15] is Collins Bay Airport. Also on the west side of the lake, near Hidden Bay, is an abandoned airport called Hidden Bay Airport.[16]

At the southern end of the lake at Nekweaga Bay is a Nekweaga Bay Airport.[16] It is a private airport that provides access to Wilderness Family Outfitters.[17]

Rise Air provides daily flights connecting Wollaston Lake with Stony Rapids, Fond Du Lac, La Ronge, Prince Albert, and Saskatoon.

Wollaston Lake (Hidden Bay) Recreation Site

Wollaston Recreation Site (58°06′02″N 103°47′25″W / 58.1006°N 103.7904°W / 58.1006; -103.7904),[18] also known as Hidden Bay Campground, is a provincially run park located on the north bank of Umpherville River[19] near its mouth where it empties into Hidden Bay of Wollaston Lake. The campground features 12 campsites, a boat launch, a fish cleaning station, and a picnic area.

Wild fires completely burned the campground and it is closed until further notice.[20]

The park is located on kilometre-240[21] of Highway 905, 260 kilometres (160 mi) north of the community of Southend. [22][23]

Fish species

Fish species found in the lake include walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, lake trout, Arctic grayling, lake whitefish, cisco, burbot, white sucker, and longnose sucker.

Treated effluent from the Rabbit Lake uranium mine is released into Hidden Bay on the south-western side of the lake.[24]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Mitchell, Patricia; Prepas, Ellie E. (1990). Atlas of Alberta Lakes. ISBN 9780888642158.
  2. ↑ "Principal lakes, elevation and area, by province and territory". Statistics Canada. 2 February 2005. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "World Lake Database (Wollaston Lake)". Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  4. ↑ "LakeNet - Lakes". www.worldlakes.org. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Data Summary". Archived from the original on 13 March 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  6. 1 2 Natural Resources Canada
  7. ↑ Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Wollaston Lake". www4.rncan.gc.ca.
  8. ↑ The Atlas of Canada – Parks and Environment
  9. ↑ "The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan | Details". Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  10. ↑ "Ministry of Municipal Affairs-Northern Settlement of WOLLASTON LAKE". Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  11. ↑ "Statistics Canada. 2012. Lac La Hache 220, Saskatchewan". 8 February 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  12. ↑ Saskatchewan wildfire forces emergency airlift – Saskatchewan – CBC News
  13. 1 2 3 "Wollaston Lake". Archived from the original on 11 October 2006. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  14. ↑ Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Collins Bay". www4.rncan.gc.ca.
  15. ↑ Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Collins Creek". www4.rncan.gc.ca.
  16. 1 2 Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
  17. ↑ "Wollaston Lake Fishing Lodge | Saskatchewan Bear Hunts".
  18. ↑ Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Wollaston Lake (Hidden Bay) Recreation Site". www4.rncan.gc.ca.
  19. ↑ Government of Canada, Natural Resources Canada. "Place names - Umpherville River". www4.rncan.gc.ca.
  20. ↑ "Lac La Ronge Provincial Park | Tourism Saskatchewan". www.tourismsaskatchewan.com. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  21. ↑ "Hidden Bay Campground | Tourism Saskatchewan".
  22. ↑ [hidden-bay-recreation-site/59323 Wollaston -Lake recreation site] BRMBM Maps
  23. ↑ "Wollaston Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada Vacation Info: LakeLubbers". Lakes for Vacation, Recreation and Rentals - LakeLubbers. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  24. ↑ "Wollaston Lake" (PDF). Retrieved 29 March 2023.
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