| Little Manitou Lake | |
|---|---|
| Manitou Beach | |
| Location | Saskatchewan |
| Lake type | Endorheic |
| Primary inflows | None |
| Primary outflows | None |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Settlements | Manitou Beach |
Little Manitou Lake is a small saltwater lake about 100 kilometres South-East of Saskatoon. The lake was formed by receding glaciers during the most recent ice age. It is fed by underground springs, and has a mineral content high in sodium, magnesium and potassium salts due to it being a terminal lake. The salt content of the water (180 g/L)[1] gives it a density about halfway to that of the Dead Sea (300-400 ppt), allowing bathers to float easily.
Since the 19th century, native people have been bringing sick people to the lake they named after the spirit Manitou. The earliest known practice of using this water to heal was when some Assiniboine people were afflicted with smallpox were cured after drinking and submerging themselves in the water.[2]
Since the turn of the 20th century and the depression of the 1930s, Manitou has been a popular tourist resort due to its salty waters. Since the late 1980s, the health benefits and the buoyancy of the water have once again made it a tourist destination.[3]