Lake Diefenbaker

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Lake Diefenbaker
NASA satellite image of Lake Diefenbaker in Saskatchewan Canada.jpg
NASA satellite image of Lake Diefenbaker
Canada Saskatchewan relief location map.jpg
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Lake Diefenbaker
Location in Saskatchewan
Canada relief map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Lake Diefenbaker
Lake Diefenbaker (Canada)
Location Saskatchewan
Coordinates 51°01′53″N106°50′09″W / 51.03139°N 106.83583°W / 51.03139; -106.83583
Type Reservoir
Part of Nelson River drainage basin
Primary inflows South Saskatchewan River
Primary outflows
Catchment area 135,500 km2 (52,300 sq mi)
Basin  countries Canada
Max. length225 km (140 mi)
Max. width6 km (3.7 mi)
Surface area430 km2 (170 sq mi)
Average depth21.6 m (71 ft)
Max. depth66 m (217 ft)
Water volume9.4 km3 (7,600,000 acre⋅ft)
Residence time 2.5 years
Shore length1800 km (500 mi)
Surface elevation556.8 m (1,827 ft) above sea level (full supply level)
Settlements
References [1]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Diefenbaker [2] is a reservoir and bifurcation lake in southern part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was formed by the construction of Gardiner Dam and the Qu'Appelle River Dam across the South Saskatchewan and Qu'Appelle Rivers respectively. Construction began in 1959 and the lake was filled in 1967. The lake is 225 kilometres (140 mi) long with approximately 800 kilometres (500 mi) of shoreline. It has a maximum depth of 66 metres (217 ft), while the water levels regularly fluctuate 3–9 metres (9–27 feet) each year. The flow of the two rivers is now regulated with a considerable portion of the South Saskatchewan diverted into the Qu'Appelle. Prior to the dams' construction, high water levels in the South Saskatchewan would frequently cause dangerous ice conditions downstream in Saskatoon while the Qu'Appelle would frequently dry up in the summer months.

Contents

Lake Diefenbaker provides water for domestic irrigation, drinking, and industrial uses. An extensive aqueduct (canal) system was built from the Gardiner Dam called the South Saskatchewan River Project. From the east-side of Gardiner Dam, the aqueduct system heads in a generally north-easterly direction ending at Dellwood Reservoir north-east of Little Manitou Lake in the RM of Usborne No. 310. Reservoirs along the course of the canal include Broderick Reservoir, Brightwater Reservoir, Indi Lake, Blackstrap Lake, Bradwell Reservoir, and Zelma Reservoir. [3] [4]

Lake Diefenbaker is the largest body of water in southern Saskatchewan, although Last Mountain Lake is the largest naturally occurring one. The lake was named after John G. Diefenbaker, a former Prime Minister of Canada.

Parks and recreation

Lake Diefenbaker in fall, picture taken near Riverhurst, Sask. Lake Diefenbaker 2007.jpg
Lake Diefenbaker in fall, picture taken near Riverhurst, Sask.
The Riverhurst Ferry MVRiverhurstferry.JPG
The Riverhurst Ferry

Three provincial parks and three regional parks are on the shores of Lake Diefenbaker: Danielson Provincial Park, [5] Douglas Provincial Park, [6] Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park, [7] Palliser Regional Park, Cabri Regional Park, and Prairie Lake Regional Park.

Recreational activities include fishing, boating, and camping. The town of Elbow contains a marina for boat storage and house boat rental.

The only remaining ferry on the lake is the Riverhurst Ferry, a cable ferry that operates across Lake Diefenbaker near Riverhurst, Saskatchewan.

Ecology

Lake Diefenbaker is home to 26 native and stocked fish species. These include burbot, walleye, northern pike, lake whitefish, lake trout, sauger, goldeye, cisco, yellow perch, rainbow trout, lake sturgeon, longnose sucker, white sucker, shorthead redhorse and Atlantic Salmon. [8] Both the current world-record rainbow trout [9] and world-record burbot [10] were caught in the lake. The lake itself along with Battle Creek are the only two bodies of water in Saskatchewan that support a reproducing population of rainbow trout.

The lake's sandy beaches provide appropriate habitat for the nationally endangered piping plover.

The long stretches of open water and poorly consolidated shore materials makes the shores vulnerable to erosion. Between 1968 and 1992 bank recession rates have commonly ranged up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) a year with higher rates in exposed areas.

Important Bird Areas

There two Important Bird Areas (IBA) of Canada on Lake Diefenbaker, with one at each end. [11]

Galloway and Miry Bay (SK006) is located at the western end of the lake about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Cabri. The IBA site includes the shoreline and spans the width of the lake covering an area of 59.48 km2 (22.97 sq mi). Miry Bay [12] is located on the western shore and Galloway is on the eastern shore about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the north. Geese found in Miry and Galloway Bays include the greater white-fronted, snow, and Ross's. Sandhill cranes are also found at the site. [13]

East Lake Diefenbaker (SK055) is located at the eastern end of the lake. It totals 361.69 km2 (139.65 sq mi) and encompasses most of both the Gordon McKenzie and Thomson Arms of the lake. This IBA is designated as critical piping plover habitat. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Gardiner Dam on the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatchewan is the third largest embankment dam in Canada and one of the largest embankment dams in the world. Construction on Gardiner Dam and the smaller Qu'Appelle River Dam was started in 1959 and completed in 1967, creating Lake Diefenbaker upstream and diverting a considerable portion of the South Saskatchewan's flow into the Qu'Appelle River. The dam rises 64 metres (209 feet) in height, is almost 5 km (3.1 mi) long and has a width of 1.5 km (0.93 mi) at its base with a volume of 65,000,000 cubic meters. The dam is owned and operated by the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qu'Appelle River Dam</span> Dam in Saskatchewan, Canada

The Qu'appelle River Dam is the smaller of two embankment dams along the South Saskatchewan River that created Lake Diefenbaker in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The bigger of the two dams is Gardiner Dam, which is the largest embankment dam in Canada and one of the largest in the world. Construction of both dams began in 1959 and was completed in 1967. Lake Diefenbaker is the largest lake in southern Saskatchewan.

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Blackstrap Lake is a man-made reservoir in central Saskatchewan, Canada, south of Saskatoon in the Rural Municipality of Dundurn No. 314. The lake was created as a reservoir in 1967, as part of the Saskatoon South East Water Supply System. Blackstrap Lake has an area of 1,200 ha and is generally used to support irrigation, and the industrial and municipal water supply.

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

Danielson Provincial Park is located at the northern end of Lake Diefenbaker in the southern part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The park surrounds the Gardiner Dam, which was built in 1967 and is among the largest embankment dams in Canada and the world. The South Saskatchewan River flows north beyond the park, towards Outlook and Saskatoon. Saskatchewan Highways 44, 45, and 219 provide access to the park. SaskPower's Coteau Creek Hydroelectric Station is located near the park.

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

Douglas Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Established in 1973, it is named after Tommy Douglas, the seventh premier of Saskatchewan and father of Canada's first single-payer, universal health care programme. The park is located along the Gordon McKenzie Arm of Lake Diefenbaker and at the Qu'Appelle River Dam, which is the source of the Qu'Appelle River. The closest community is Elbow and access to the park is from Highway 19.

Broderick Reservoir is a reservoir about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) south-southeast of Outlook in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in the Rural Municipality of Rudy No. 284. Broderick Reservoir was built in 1967 as part of South Saskatchewan River Project. That project involved the building of aqueducts and a series of reservoirs to supply water for irrigation, consumption, and industry originating at Gardiner Dam at Lake Diefenbaker. Broderick is the first reservoir in the series. Downstream reservoirs include Brightwater Reservoir, Indi Lake, Blackstrap Lake, Bradwell Reservoir, Zelma Reservoir, and Dellwood Reservoir.

References

  1. "World Lake Database (Lake Diefenbaker)". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  2. "Lake Diefenbaker". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  3. "Dams and Reservoirs". Water Security Agency. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  4. "Your Partner in Water" (PDF). SaskWater. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  5. "Danielson Provincial Park". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  6. "Douglas Provincial Park". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  7. "Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  8. Fish Species of Saskatchewan Archived 2015-11-03 at the Wayback Machine
  9. IGFA All-Tackle World Record for Rainbow Trout
  10. "IGFA All-Tackle World Record for Burbot". Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  11. "Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas". Nature Saskatchewan. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  12. "Miry Bay". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  13. "Galloway and Miry Bay". IBA Canada. Birds Canada. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  14. "East Lake Diefenbaker". IBA Canada. Birds Canada. Retrieved 10 January 2023.

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