| Last Mountain Lake | |
|---|---|
| Last Mountain Lake | |
| Location | Saskatchewan |
| Lake type | prairie lake |
| Primary inflows | Lanigan Creek Lewis Creek Arm River Saline Creek |
| Primary outflows | Last Mountain Creek |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 93 km |
| Max. width | 3 km |
| Surface area | 2,312 km |
| Average depth | 35 metres |
| Max. depth | 130 ft (40 m) |
| Islands | several in the north |
| Settlements | none |
Last Mountain Lake, also known as Long Lake, is a prairie lake formed from glaciation 11,000 years ago. It is located in south central Saskatchewan, Canada, about 40 km northwest of the city of Regina adjacent to the Qu'Appelle Valley, which it flows south into through Last Mountain Creek which flows past Craven. It is approximately 93 km long, and only 3 km wide at its widest point. It is the largest naturally occurring body of water in southern Saskatchewan, although Lake Diefenbaker (created by damming) is larger. The Lake was named for a Plains Cree legend about the Great Spirit shoveling dirt from the valley the lake now occupies and forming Last Mountain Hills east of Duval.
The lake is a popular resort area for residents of southeastern Saskatchewan. Several resort communities such as Arlington Beach, Grandview Beach, Eldora Beach, Regina Beach, Saskatchewan Beach, Buena Vista, Glen Harbour, Alice and Wee Too Beach, Colesdale Park, Spring Bay, Pelican Pointe, Sunset Cove, Island View, Etter's Beach, and Mohr's Beach are on the shores of the lake. Access to the area was opened up by the Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railroad and Steamboat Company who also operated steamships on the lake.[1]
Near the town of Strasbourg along the lake's eastern shore lies Rowan's Ravine Provincial Park. This park includes a full service marina for boaters, a full-service campground, restaurant, mini-golf, and other facilities including a large sandy point that serves as a beach. The marina is often used by recreational boaters and sailors traveling from Regina Beach as a stop over or refueling point, and holds a large fishing tournament every September. Last Mountain House Provincial Park is located on the south-east shore and provides tours of historical Last Mountain House, which was built by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1869.
The Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary, the first federal bird sanctuary in North America, was established here. Over 280 bird species have been recorded. The lake contains appropriate habitat for 9 of Canada's 36 species of vulnerable, threatened and endagered bird, such as the peregrine falcon, piping plover, burrowing owl and whooping crane. The northern end of the lake is very shallow and contains wetlands. Part of this area of the lake and surrounding area has been set aside as the Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area, which is a site of regional importance in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.[2]
The lake contains a host of fish species including walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, burbot, lake whitefish, cisco, bigmouth buffalo, white sucker and common carp.