Ponass Lakes[1] are made up of six shallow, marshy lake basins ranging in size from 98 ha (240 acres) to 1,631 ha (4,030 acres) in the central part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The lakes and marsh are in the aspen parkland ecoregion and are surrounded by groves of trembling aspen and farmland.[2] Water levels are controlled by a series of dams operated by Ducks Unlimited Canada. The outflow for the lakes and marsh is from a short creek at the north end. The creek flows into George Williams Lake,[3] which is within the Red Deer River drainage basin. The lakes and marsh are in the RM of Ponass Lake No. 367 and access is from Highway 35.
| Ponass Lakes | |
|---|---|
  Ponass Lakes Location in Saskatchewan  Ponass Lakes Ponass Lakes (Canada) | |
| Coordinates | 52°16′00″N 103°58′02″W / 52.2667°N 103.9672°W |
| Catchment area | Red Deer River |
| Basin countries |  Canada |
| Max. length | 15 km (9.3 mi) |
| Max. width | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
| Surface area | 2,995 ha (7,400 acres) |
| Shore length1 | 162 km (101 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 555 m (1,821 ft) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Ponass Lakes and surrounding marsh are nationally important for migratory birds and are within an Important Bird Area (IBA) of Canada. The Ponass Marsh was the first designated Heritage Marsh in Saskatchewan.
Ponass Lake Heritage Marsh and IBA
editPonas Lake Heritage Marsh was established in 1981 and encompasses the marsh and lakes and covers an area of about 2,995 hectares (7,400 acres).[4] The wetland and part of the surrounding upland is also part of the Ponass Lake (SK 072) Important Bird Area of Canada. The IBA covers an area of 289.04 km2 (111.60 sq mi) and birds found there include ducks, Canada geese, sandhill cranes, snow geese, whooping cranes, peregrine falcons, American coots, black-crowned night-herons, American bitterns, soras, American white pelicans, black terns, common terns, pied-billed grebes, red-necked grebes, great blue herons, Franklin's gulls, and greater white-fronted geese.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Ponass Lakes". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ "Ecoregions of Saskatchewan". usask. University of Saskatchewan. 30 May 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ "George Williams Lake". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ "Ponass Lake Heritage Marsh". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- ^ "Ponass Lake". IBA Canada. Birds Canada. Retrieved 5 April 2023.