Reindeer Lake

Reindeer Lake

NASA satellite map of Reindeer Lake[1]
Location Division No. 18, Saskatchewan / Division No. 23, Manitoba
Coordinates 57°33′05″N 102°15′32″W / 57.55139°N 102.25889°WCoordinates: 57°33′05″N 102°15′32″W / 57.55139°N 102.25889°W
Type glacial lake
Primary inflows Cochrane River (Canada)
Primary outflows Reindeer River
Catchment area 60,000 km2 (23,000 sq mi)
Basin countries Canada
Max. length 230 km (140 mi)
Max. width 60 km (37 mi)
Surface area 5,650 km2 (2,180 sq mi)
Average depth 17 m (56 ft)
Max. depth 219 m (719 ft)
Water volume 95.25 km3 (77,220,000 acre·ft)
Residence time 9 years
Shore length1 3,394 km (2,109 mi)
Surface elevation 337 m (1,106 ft)
Islands numerous
Settlements Kinoosao, Brochet, Southend
References [2][3]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.
Location of Reindeer Lake in Saskatchewan

Reindeer Lake is a lake in Western Canada located on the border between northeastern Saskatchewan and northwestern Manitoba, with the majority in Saskatchewan. The name of the lake appears to be a translation of the Algonquian name. It is the second-largest lake in Saskatchewan and the ninth largest in Canada. It comprises 8% of lake from Manitoba and 92% of lake from Saskatchewan.

Geography

Reindeer Lake has a heavily indented shoreline and contains numerous small islands. On its eastern shore is the community of Kinoosao, at its northern end Brochet, Manitoba; and at its southern end, Southend, Saskatchewan; and Deep Bay, which covers an astrobleme which probably formed 100 million years ago. It drains mainly to the south, via the Reindeer River and a controlled weir, to the Churchill River and then east to Hudson Bay. Water flow out of the lake is regulated by the Whitesand Dam.

Deep Bay, located at the south end of the lake and measuring about 13 km (8 mi) wide and 220 m (720 ft) deep, is the site of a large meteorite impact dating about 140 million years ago.[4] According to local legend, it is also the location of a monster which pulls animals through the ice in winter.[5]

Development

Several early explorers including David Thompson traveled through the lake. It did not serve a major role in the fur trade as only a few short-lived trading posts were established. Today road access to the lake is provided by Highway 102 that terminates at Southend, Saskatchewan, and Highway 302.[6]

Fishing

Fishing is an important industry in the area and sport-fishermen are drawn by its clear and deep waters. Trophy-sized pike are common at Reindeer Lake. The lake also supports commercial fishing.[7] Fish species include walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, lake trout, Arctic grayling, lake whitefish, cisco, burbot, white sucker and longnose sucker.

Several islands on Reindeer Lake, such as Tate Island, host fishing lodges.

NORAD Tracks Santa

Reindeer Lake was a featured Santa Cam location from the start of the 2002 NORAD Tracks Santa tracking season to the end of the 2011 season when NORAD opted to switch to a regional format the next year instead of the individual profiling of cities they had been doing.[8]

References

  1. "NASA Visible Earth (BURN SCARS IN SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA) Note: Dark to light rust coloured areas are burn scars from forest fires". August 24, 2002. Retrieved 2014-09-14.
  2. "Google Maps Distance Calculator". daftlogic.com. Retrieved 2015-01-09.
  3. "World Lake Database (Reindeer Lake)". Retrieved 2015-01-09.
  4. "Deep Bay crater". Earth Impact Database. University of New Brunswick Planetary and Space Science Centre. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
  5. "A Bit of Reindeer Lake's History". Nordic Lodge. Retrieved 2012-01-06.
  6. Lewry, Marilyn (2006). "Reindeer Lake". Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Canadian Plains Research Center. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
  7. "Industry Profile - Commercial Fishing". SaskNetWork. Government of Saskatchewan - Ministry of Education. 2003. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
  8. 2010 - 23 - Reindeer Lake - SK - Canada - NORAD Tracks Santa - English. North American Aerospace Defense Command. December 24, 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-05.

External links