Opuntia Lake[1] is a shallow, man-made salt lake in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was formed with the construction of the Opuntia Control along Eagle Creek in 1946.[2] The lake is in the Mixed Moist Grassland ecoregion of the Great Plains[3] and the entire lake is part of the Opuntia Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary (MBS).[4] The nearest community is Plenty and there are no public facilities at the lake.[5] The nearest highway is Highway 31.[6] The town of Biggar is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) to the north-east.
| Opuntia Lake | |
|---|---|
  Opuntia Lake Location in Saskatchewan  Opuntia Lake Opuntia Lake (Canada) | |
| Location | RM of Winslow No. 319 and RM of Mountain View No. 318, Saskatchewan |
| Coordinates | 51°49′00″N 108°35′02″W / 51.8167°N 108.5840°W |
| Type | Salt lake |
| Primary inflows | Eagle Creek |
| Primary outflows | Eagle Creek |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Managing agency | Saskatchewan Water Security Agency |
| Built | 1946 |
| Max. length | 9.8 km (6.1 mi) |
| Max. width | 1.6 km (1 mi) |
| Surface area | 1,383 ha (3,420 acres) |
| Water volume | 18,919 dam3 (15,338 acre⋅ft) |
| Shore length1 | 28 km (17 mi) |
| Settlements | None |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Opuntia Lake MBS
editOpuntia Lake MBS is a migratory bird sanctuary that encompasses all of Opuntia Lake and covers an area of 13.91 km2 (5.37 sq mi). It was founded in 1952 and is an important stop-over for migratory birds as it is "strategically positioned along a major flyway for geese and other waterfowl". Birds commonly found at the MBS include the Canada goose, white-fronted goose, snow goose, Ross's gull, mallard, northern pintail, sandhill crane, and the tundra swan.[7][8][9]
Opuntia Lake Control
editOpuntia Lake Control (51°45′43″N 108°32′47″W / 51.7619°N 108.5464°W) is a dam built in 1946 along the course of Eagle Creek. It created Opuntia Lake, which is a reservoir with a volume of 18,919 dam3 (668,100,000 cu ft) and is operated by the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency. The dam measures 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) high.[10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Opuntia Lake". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ "Eagle Creek - Hwy 14". BRMB Maps. Mussio Ventures Ltd. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ "Ecoregions of Saskatchewan". usask. University of Saskatchewan. 30 May 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ "Opuntia Lake Bird Sanctuary". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ "Opuntia Lake". Sask Lakes. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ "Opuntia Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada". Mindat.org. mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ "Opuntia Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary". ECCC. Government of Canada. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ "Opuntia Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary". BRMB Maps. Mussio Ventures Ltd. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ "Opuntia Lake Bird Sanctuary". European Commission. OSM Mapnik. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ "Dams and Reservoirs". Water Security Agency. Retrieved 18 March 2024.