Chicken Lake,[1] also known as Barrier Lake, is a large, irregularly shaped lake in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The lake is within the Nelson–Churchill River basin, which is the third largest in North America.[2][3] Chicken Lake's primary inflow is from a channel at its southern end connecting it to Kipahigan Lake. At the northern end, the lake is connected to Sisipuk Lake through the Swan River channel.[4] Sisipuk Lake is a lake along the course of the Churchill River.[5] Chicken Lake Dam is situated along Swan River connecting Chicken Lake to Sisipuk Lake. The Swan River, while only about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) long, has a drainage basin of about 1,800 km2 (690 sq mi).
| Chicken Lake | |
|---|---|
| Barrier Lake | |
  Chicken Lake Location in Saskatchewan  Chicken Lake Chicken Lake (Canada) | |
| Location | Northern Saskatchewan Administration District |
| Coordinates | 55°31′08″N 101°57′35″W / 55.5189°N 101.9597°W |
| Type | Lake |
| Part of | Churchill River drainage basin |
| Primary inflows | Kipahigan Lake |
| Primary outflows | Sisipuk Lake (Churchill River) |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Managing agency | Saskatchewan Water Security Agency |
| Surface area | 2,146 ha (5,300 acres) |
| Shore length1 | 150 km (93 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 292 m (958 ft) |
| Settlements | None |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Kipahigan Sakahikan 222 Indian reserve is at the southern end of Chicken Lake. The reserve is also along the northern shores of Kipahigan Lake.[6]
Chicken Lake Dam
editChicken Lake Dam (55°36′04″N 102°01′08″W / 55.6011°N 102.0189°W) was built in 1929 at Spruce Falls along the Swan River in the channel connecting Chicken Lake to Churchill River. It is 2.4 metres (7 ft 10 in) high. The dam is owned and operated by the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency.[7] In 1929, along with the dam, a hydroelectric power station was constructed on site. The power station was built to supply electricity for the construction of Island Falls hydroelectric power station 23 kilometres (14 mi) upstream along the Churchill River. Initial construction began in 1928 and the power station was in operation from 20 March 1929 until 5 June 1930 when No. 1 Unit at Island Falls took up the load. The Spruce Falls power plant was disassembled and the generating units were transported to Island Falls.[8][9]
Fish species
editFish commonly found in Chicken Lake include burbot, cisco, lake whitefish, northern pike, sauger, and walleye.[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Chicken Lake". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Core Basins and Observations". Global Water Futures. University of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ Singh, Aryan (7 April 2023). "Churchill River". World Atlas. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Where is Chicken Lake in Canada?". geotargit.com. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Sisipuk Lake, Saskatchewan Map". Geodata.us. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Kipahigan Sakahikan 222". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Dams and Reservoirs". wsask. Water Security Agency. 27 January 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ Davis, R.W. and Huffaker, M.F. Island Falls Power Development on the Churchill River, a paper presented at the annual general meeting of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Winnipeg, MB, March, 1935.
- ^ Marshall, M.H. Power Development at Island Falls, Churchill River, a paper presented at the Calgary Branch of The Engineering Institute of Canada, January 29, 1931.
- ^ "Chicken Lake". Sask Lakes. Retrieved 28 March 2024.