Kaminak Lake

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kaminak Lake
Location Northern Canada
Coordinates 62°13′N 95°00′WCoordinates: 62°13′N 95°00′W
Primary inflows Ferguson River
Primary outflows Hudson Bay
Basin countries Canada
Max. length 40 mi (64 km)
Max. width 1 mi (2 km)-
22 mi (35 km)
Surface area 600 km² (232 sq mi)
Surface elevation 53 meters (174 ft)
Settlements 60 mi (97 km) west of Tavani (abandoned)

Kaminak Lake (KA-min-ak) is located in a permafrost region of southwestern Nunavut in northern Canada. It is part of the Herne Domain Western Churchill province of the Churchill craton, which is the northwest section of the Canadian Shield. The sub-Arctic lake is one of 11 lakes of the Ferguson River system which ultimately flows into the northwestern Hudson Bay.

Around 1971, after reviewing 2,000 samples, the Geological Survey of Canada discovered: "an unusual and unsuspected distribution of above background Mercury concentrations in natural waters". While this offered the potential for mineral explorations, it was also notable as commercial fishing occurs in Kaminak Lake.[1] In the mid 1970s, the Kaminak Lake fishery was moved further up the Ferguson River to Qamanirjuaq ("Kaminuriak") Lake; it did not exhibit elevated Mercury levels.[2] Other prospecting and mapping studies followed and exploration companies found gold at the lake, including on an island within the lake.[3]

Kaminak Lake is part of the barren-ground caribou migration area.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ E.H.W. Hornbrook (1971). Mercury in Permafrost Regions: Occurrence and Distribution in the Kaminak Lake Area, Northwest Territories. Geological Survey of Canada, Department of Energy, Mines and Resources. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.
  2. ^ Shallow 'cave' with local ritual significance in highly folded orthoquartzite of Hurwitz Formation. University of Illinois (2007-08-28). Retrieved on 2008-02-12.
  3. ^ "Mac & Cache Exploration Update - New Showings Found", fullmetalminerals.com, October 29, 2004. Retrieved on 2008-01-18. 
  4. ^ L. Chalmers (1989). Beverly and Kaminuriak caribou monitoring and land use controls. netwildlife.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-18.

[edit] External links

 This Nunavut geographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.