Gull Lake (Alberta)

Last updated
Gull Lake
Gull Lake, AB.jpg
Gulls of Gull Lake, Alberta
Canada Alberta relief location map - transverse mercator proj.svg
Red pog.svg
Gull Lake
Location Lacombe County / Ponoka County, Alberta
Coordinates 52°32′30″N114°00′27″W / 52.54167°N 114.00750°W / 52.54167; -114.00750
Primary outflows Blindman River
Catchment area 206 km2 (80 sq mi)
Basin  countriesCanada
Surface area80.6 km2 (31.1 sq mi) [1]
Average depth5.4 m (18 ft)
Max. depth8 m (26 ft)
Residence time >100 years [2]
Surface elevation899 m (2,949 ft)
Settlements Gull Lake
References [1] [2]

Gull Lake is a large lake in central Alberta, Canada. It is a popular recreational lake with its southern shores boasting large sandy beaches. Gull Lake is centrally located between Edmonton and Calgary and lies in two counties, Ponoka County and Lacombe County. The lake is accessed west of Ponoka on Highway 53 to get to the north side, or west of Lacombe on Highway 12 to reach the southern shores.

Contents

Area covered

It has a total surface of 80.6 square kilometres (31.1 sq mi), and a maximum depth of 8 metres (26 ft). [1] It has a catchment area of 206 km2 (79.5 sq mi). Several area streams including Birch Bay Creek and Wilson Creek flow into Gull Lake. Its waters drain through a creek into the Blindman River and then in the Red Deer River.

Summer village

The summer village of Gull Lake is developed on the southern shore, adjacent to Aspen Beach Provincial Park, along Highway 12. Several campgrounds are located around the shores of the lake including Aspen Beach Brewers and Lakeview Provincial Park, Raymond Shores, and Degraffs Resort. Sylvan Lake is located 20 km (12 mi) south from Gull Lake. Gull Lake is a large, shallow lake located west of the City of Lacombe in the counties of Ponoka and Lacombe. Because it is situated between the cities of Edmonton and Calgary, Gull Lake is accessible to large numbers of people. Its clear water and sandy beaches contribute to its popularity, and the lake is heavily used on warm, sunny weekends. To reach the lake, take Highway 2 from Edmonton or Calgary to Lacombe, then turn west on Highway 12 and drive for 14 km to the summer village of Gull Lake (Fig. 1).

First settlers

Homesteaders first settled the region south and west of Gull Lake in about 1895; many of these people came from the United States. By 1902, most of the land had been settled and a lumber industry had been established. A 26-m-long steamboat built in 1898 was used in a sawmill operation at Birch Bay on the northwest shore of Gull Lake (Coulton 1975). Passengers were often carried on this and other steamboats on the lake. By 1904, there was a second steamer and the area was already known as a summer resort. [3]

Hydroelectric reservoir

In 1908, Gull Lake served briefly as a hydroelectric reservoir when the Blindman River Electric Power Company Ltd. built a concrete dam on the outlet. Water from the lake was intended to supplement the flow of the Blindman River for power generation, but the dam was destroyed by dynamite in 1910. In ensuing years, the water level of the lake declined, and in 1921, the first formal complaint regarding the low water level was received by the Commissioner of Irrigation in Calgary. The same year, the summer village of Gull Lake built an earth and concrete dam at the outlet, which is now located about 1.6 km from the present shoreline (Bailey 1970).

Lowered water level

Between 1924 and 1968, the water level in Gull Lake dropped an average of 6 cm per year, causing great concern among recreational users. In 1967, the Water Resources Division of Alberta Agriculture undertook a series of preliminary studies to try to solve the problem. In 1969 a Gull Lake Study Task Force, formed by personnel from various government agencies, was directed to investigate alternative proposals for stabilizing Gull Lake. Engineering, economic and land use studies were completed in 1970. The decision was made to divert water from the Blindman River through a pipeline and canal to supplement inflow. Pumping began in the spring of 1977, but at present, pumping occurs only when the lake level declines below a designated elevation (Richmond 1988).

Aspen Beach Provincial Park

Aspen Beach Provincial Park, established in 1932, was one of the first parks in the Alberta park system (Finlay and Finlay 1987). It is located on the southwest shore of Gull Lake. This attractive park, with an area of 2.15 km2, has 2 campgrounds with 572 sites, a group camping area, a boat launch, beaches, day-use areas, flush toilets and showers. In addition, there are several campgrounds operated by private owners or nonprofit organizations around the lakeshore. Activities at the lake include sailing, power boating, swimming, fishing and windsurfing. In posted areas of the lake, either all boats are prohibited or power-driven boats are subject to a maximum speed of 12 km/hour (Alta. For. Ld. Wild. 1988).

Fishing

Gull Lake is used moderately for sport fishing, but there is no commercial or domestic fishery. Northern pike and walleye are the most sought-after sport fish, although lake whitefish and Burbot are also present in the lake. Walleye have been stocked in Gull Lake in recent years. The diversion canal into the lake is closed to fishing year-round; there are no specific fishing regulations for the lake, but provincial limits apply (Alta. For. Ld. Wild. 1989). There is also a sizable ice fishing culture in the winter.

Related Research Articles

Alberta Provincial Highway No. 2, commonly referred to as Highway 2 or the Queen Elizabeth II Highway, is a major highway in Alberta that stretches from the Canada–United States border through Calgary and Edmonton to Grande Prairie. Running primarily north to south for approximately 1,273 kilometres (791 mi), it is the longest and busiest highway in the province carrying more than 170,000 vehicles per day near Downtown Calgary. The Fort Macleod—Edmonton section forms a portion of the CANAMEX Corridor that links Alaska to Mexico. More than half of Alberta's 4 million residents live in the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor created by Highway 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aspen Beach Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Alberta, Canada

Aspen Beach Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada, located 17 km west of Lacombe on Highway 12, a short drive off Highway 2.

Calling Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada. It is a boreal forest reserve located 55 km (34 mi) north of Athabasca on Highway 813, and 186 km (116 mi) north of Edmonton, on the southern shore of Calling Lake. The marshy shores of the lake provide nesting grounds for waterfowl and habitat for American white pelicans and great blue herons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cold Lake Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Alberta, Canada

Cold Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in northeastern Alberta, Canada.

Young's Point Provincial Park is a provincial park located in northwestern Alberta, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wabamun Lake Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Alberta, Canada

Wabamun Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakeland Provincial Park and Recreation Area</span> Provincial park in Alberta, Canada

Lakeland Provincial Park and Lakeland Provincial Recreation Area are located east of Lac La Biche, Alberta, Canada, in Lac La Biche County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Alberta</span> Region in the province of Alberta, Canada

Central Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madge Lake</span> Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada

Madge Lake is a freshwater lake located in eastern Saskatchewan, 18 km east of the town of Kamsack and just a few kilometres west of the province's eastern boundary. Road access to the lake is via Highway 57, which passes by the south shore of Madge Lake as it connects Highway 5 to Manitoba Highway 83.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duck Mountain Provincial Park (Saskatchewan)</span> Provincial park in Saskatchewan, Canada

Duck Mountain Provincial Park is a provincial park, located in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) east of the town of Kamsack and stretches about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) eastward to the Saskatchewan / Manitoba boundary. The park covers approximately 150 km2 (58 sq mi). Road access to the park is via Highway 57, which connects Saskatchewan Highway 5 to Manitoba Highway 83.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McGregor Lake</span> Reservoir in Vulcan County, Southern Alberta

McGregor Lake is an elongated reservoir in Southern Alberta. McGregor Lake was created in 1920 by the completion of two dams bracketing water flowing through in Snake Valley. It is situated 100 km (62 mi) southeast of Calgary in the Vulcan County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meadow Lake Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Saskatchewan, Canada

Meadow Lake Provincial Park is a northern boreal forest provincial recreational park along the Waterhen and Cold Rivers in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The park was founded on 10 March 1959, is the largest provincial park in Saskatchewan, and encompasses over 25 lakes in an area of 1,600 km2 (620 sq mi). The park was named Meadow Lake after the city of Meadow Lake and Meadow Lake. The city and the lake are not in the park and are located about 40 kilometres (25 mi) south-east of the nearest park entrance, which is about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of Dorintosh. The length of the park stretches about 113 kilometres (70 mi) from Cold Lake on the Saskatchewan / Alberta border in the west to the eastern shore of Waterhen Lake in the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobin Lake</span> Reservoir in Saskatchewan, Canada

Tobin Lake is a reservoir along the course of the Saskatchewan River in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Tobin Lake was formed by the building of the E.B. Campbell Dam on the Saskatchewan River in 1963. Tobin Lake is named for William Thorburn, who was a fur trader on the Saskatchewan River. He had built a trading post on the Saskatchewan River where it is met by the Petaigan River. The rapids near the post became known as the "Thornburn Rapids". The name was later shortened to "Tobin Rapids".

Crooked Lake is a recreational lake located in the south-eastern region of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is part of a chain of lakes in the Qu'Appelle Valley and, like many of the other lakes in the valley, there's a dam at the eastern end that controls water levels.

North Wabasca Lake is located in northern Alberta, Canada, 322 km (200 mi) north of Edmonton and is the fifteenth largest lake in Alberta. The hamlet of Wabasca is located on the southeast shore of the lake, and along the path of the river flowing north from South Wabasca Lake. Two First Nations Reserves border the lake, Wabasca 166C in the northeast, and Wabasca 166B in the south.

Pierce Lake is a lake in Meadow Lake Provincial Park in the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan. It is situated along the course of the Cold River in the boreal forest ecozone of Canada. Upstream along Cold River from Pierce Lake is Cold Lake and downstream are Lepine Lake and Lac des Îles. Pierce Lake and Cold River are in the Beaver River watershed, which is part of the Churchill River and Hudson Bay drainage basin.

Lac des Îles is a lake in Meadow Lake Provincial Park in the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan in the boreal forest ecozone of Canada. The primary inflow is the Cold River and its outflow is the Waterhen River. The lake and associated rivers are part of the Hudson Bay drainage basin as the Waterhen River flows into Beaver River, which meets the Churchill River, a major river that flows into Hudson Bay, at Lac Île-à-la-Crosse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Spirit Lake</span> Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada

Good Spirit Lake is a lake on the eastern side of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is a shallow lake notable for its naturally sandy beaches, parks, and sand dunes. One of Saskatchewan's six founding provincial parks, Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park, surrounds the western and southern shores of the lake. The lake is in the RM of Good Lake No. 274 and Yorkton, 48 kilometres (30 mi) to the south, is the nearest city. The hamlets of Burgis Beach and Canora Beach–the only two communities on the lake–are located on the eastern shore. The southern shore of the lake is accessed from Highway 229 and the northern shore is accessed from Highway 651. Highway 47 runs north to south west of the lake and Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park</span> Provincial park in Saskatchewan, Canada

Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park on the eastern side of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Founded in 1931, the park surrounds the western and southern shores of Good Spirit Lake and is one of Saskatchewan's six founding provincial parks. The park is in the RM of Good Lake No. 274, about 48 kilometres (30 mi) north of the city of Yorkton. Highway 47 runs along the western boundary and Highway 229 provides access to the park's amenities.

Makwa Lake Provincial Park is a recreational provincial park in the west-central region of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in the transition zone between parkland and boreal forest. The park was established in 1986 and is centred around the lakes of Big Jumbo, Little Jumbo, and Makwa. Prior to its establishment, the park was a provincial recreation site. The main entrance to Makwa Lake Park is at the south-east corner of Makwa Lake about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of the village of Loon Lake. Access is from Highway 699.

References

  1. 1 2 3 University of Alberta. "Atlas of Alberta Lakes - Gull Lake". Archived from the original on 2010-06-14. Retrieved 2007-07-05.
  2. 1 2 "An Assessment of Water Quality in Gull Lake (1999-2000)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-07-11. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
  3. Lacombe Board of Trade (1904). District of Lacombe. p. 15.