Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area is a

National Wildlife Area A National Wildlife Area is a conservation designation for a geographical region in Canada that restricts most human activities on that region. However, land use permits may be issued "for activities that are compatible with conservation". Suc ...

(NWA) in the

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

. The protected area is in the

Prairie Pothole Region The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR; french: Région des cuvettes/fondrières des prairies) is an expansive area of the northern Great Plains that contains thousands of shallow wetlands known as potholes. These potholes are the result of glacier act ...

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, which extends throughout three Canadian provinces and five

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

s. It is also within

Palliser's Triangle Palliser's Triangle, or the Palliser Triangle, is a semi-arid steppe occupying a substantial portion of the Western Canadian Prairie Provinces, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba, within the Great Plains region. While initially determined to be uns ...

and the

Great Plains ecoregion The ecology of the Great Plains is diverse, largely owing to their great size. Differences in rainfall, elevation, and latitude create a variety of habitats including short grass, mixed grass, and tall-grass prairies, and riparian ecosystems. Th ...

. The site is an

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

(IBA) of Canada, designated as ''001 Last Mountain Lake NWA''. Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area is located at the north end of

Last Mountain Lake 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 north-west of the city of Regina. It flows into the Qu'Appelle River via Las ...

, west of

Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric?: ''Gwovan'?''; Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south ba ...

. The majority of the park is in the RM of Wreford No. 280. Last Mountain National Wildlife Area resides in territories of the

Cree The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...

, Anishinabewaki, Blackfoot, and

Métis The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derives ...

. It also resides in the territory of the Assiniboine (Nakota) territory, and

Saulteaux The Saulteaux (pronounced , or in imitation of the French pronunciation , also written Salteaux, Saulteau and other variants), otherwise known as the Plains Ojibwe, are a First Nations band government in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Al ...

(Anishinabe) territory under

Treaty 4 Treaty 4 is a treaty established between Queen Victoria and the Cree and Saulteaux First Nation band governments. The area covered by Treaty 4 represents most of current day southern Saskatchewan, plus small portions of what are today western Ma ...

. The area has been designated as a National Wildlife Area which is protected under the

Canada Wildlife Act The ''Canada Wildlife Act'' (the Act) is a statute of the Government of Canada. It specifies the requirements for a geographic area in Canada to be designated a National Wildlife Area by the Canadian Wildlife Service division of Environment Canada ...

History

Last Mountain Lake, also known as Long Lake, was named after a Cree

oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people wh ...

which recounts the

Great Spirit The Great Spirit is the concept of a life force, a Supreme Being or god known more specifically as Wakan Tanka in Lakota,Ostler, Jeffry. ''The Plains Sioux and U.S. Colonialism from Lewis and Clark to Wounded Knee''. Cambridge University Press, ...

digging out the soil and forming a valley (now known as Last Mountain Lake), and with that soil creating the hills found in the nearby area. Historically, Indigenous peoples would visit the area during the fall months to fish for

northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a ...

and whitefish in Long Lake and hunt

bison Bison are large bovines in the genus ''Bison'' (Greek: "wild ox" (bison)) within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American bison, ''B. bison'', found only in North Ame ...

, which was key to their livelihoods. In 1869, the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...

built a

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

on the south end of the lake, known as Last Mountain House, with settlers following by 1885. Known today for its rich

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

and ecological productivity, the Last Mountain Lake region was once home to great buffalo herds and was located within the

great bison belt The great bison belt is a tract of rich grassland that ran from Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico from around 9000 BC. The great bison belt was supported by spring and early summer rainfall that allowed short grasses to grow. These grasses retain the ...

. Recognized for its importance as a remote breeding habitat for

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

s, Last Mountain Lake Wildlife Area became federally protected in 1887. The protected area originally consisted of just located on the northern end of Last Mountain Lake. It was designated

Ramsar site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

s, and uplands. This area was North America's first federally protected bird sanctuary and today consists of , remaining the oldest bird sanctuary in North America. The area is a National Historic site and overlaps with Last Mountain Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Last Mountain Lake NWA

Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network The Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) is a conservation strategy targeting shorebirds in the Americas launched in 1985. Its aim is to protect the nesting, breeding and staging habitats of migratory shorebirds. The first site to ...

(WHSRN), and Last Mountain Lake NWA –

(IBA).

Land composition

The protected area includes several small islands, including Bird, Royal, and Coney. The northernmost

inlet An inlet is a (usually long and narrow) indentation of a shoreline, such as a small arm, bay, sound, fjord, lagoon or marsh, that leads to an enclosed larger body of water such as a lake, estuary, gulf or marginal sea. Overview In marine geogra ...

for Last Mountain Lake,

Lanigan Creek Lanigan Creek is a river in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is located in the south central part of the province in a region called the Prairie Pothole Region of North America, which extends throughout three Canadian provinces and ...

and its

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

Saline Creek, runs through the heart of the park. Several dykes were built to help control water flow and levels. Natural grasslands make up about 54% of the total protected area. The marshes and grasslands provide habitat and breeding grounds for about 280 species of

migratory birds Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting by ...

. of the park is dominated by

native species In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equ ...

. Within the park, there are

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. Th ...

s, a

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

area, a Nature Centre, and Last Mountain Bird Observatory, Saskatchewan's only bird monitoring station. The area has a mix of different

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s which are separated into three designations.

Upland ecosites

The upland ecosites are mainly composed of

loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...

y to

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...

y grasslands and make up about 67% of the protected area. These areas have a variety of different

grasses Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns and ...

that can grow, including

wheatgrass Wheatgrass is the freshly sprouted first leaves of the common wheat plant (''Triticum aestivum''), used as a food, drink, or dietary supplement. Wheatgrass is served freeze dried or fresh, and so it differs from wheat malt, which is convecti ...

and western porcupine grass. While these areas mainly have grasses and non-native

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...

s growing in the present day, they were used as

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating Plant, plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of Sedentism, sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of Domestication, domesticated species created food ...

land in the past because of the soil composition. Several different

trees In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are u ...

and

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s including trembling aspen,

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

, and thorny buffaloberry also find the soil composition easy to grow in and have been able to thrive in these areas.

Lowland ecosites

In the lowland ecosites, which make up 33% of the protected area,

saline soils Soil salinity is the salt content in the soil; the process of increasing the salt content is known as salinization. Salts occur naturally within soils and water. Salination can be caused by natural processes such as mineral weathering or by the ...

and

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...

s can be found. The composition of the soil is dependent on environmental factors such as wind,

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shel ...

es, surrounding springs, and basins. Lowland ecosites can have three different compositions, dry saline soils, saline wetlands, and freshwater wetlands. Each of these composition types will have different varieties of plants found within them.

Aquatic habitats

Aquatic habitats (approximately ) include

stream A stream is a continuous body of water, body of surface water Current (stream), flowing within the stream bed, bed and bank (geography), banks of a channel (geography), channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream ...

s, dugouts, deep marshes, and artificial

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

Snow Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

runoff and evaporation rates will affect the flow rates of these areas. Sufficient water flow and quality can provide

spawning Spawn is the eggs and sperm released or deposited into water by aquatic animals. As a verb, ''to spawn'' refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, and the act of both sexes is called spawning. Most aquatic animals, except for aquati ...

areas for

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

in creeks and streams.

Land use

This Wildlife Area is now being protected but it used to be dominated by cultivated ground for crop production. Migratory birds and wildlife use the lake's shallow bays for migration routes, nesting, and roosting cover. The Canadian management plan in place has allowed the use of

prescribed fire A controlled or prescribed burn, also known as hazard reduction burning, backfire, swailing, or a burn-off, is a fire set intentionally for purposes of forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. A control ...

and water management programs to be tested and is now being used to benefit the area. The boundaries of the national wildlife area were originally put in place to protect wild fowl breeding grounds.

Climate

Climate in this region of Saskatchewan involves long, warm summers and frigid, snowy, and dry winters. Temperatures habitually vary between -19°C to 26°C and very rarely dip below -32°C or above 32°C. Low

humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity depe ...

levels are experienced throughout the entire year; it's levels do not vary significantly. Rainfall and snowfall rates vary throughout the year; the rainy portion of the year lasts just over six months, from April to October, with June being the rainiest month at an average of 56 millimetres of rainfall. The snowy portion of the year lasts for around six months as well, from April to October, with December being the snowiest month at an average of 60 millimetres of snowfall. Scenarios of how climate change will affect the Saskatchewan area were established following the most recent assessment on global climate change by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), using the most recent global climate model results available. This analysis includes the grassland regions of Saskatchewan and indicated decreases in annual mean precipitation within these regions going forward. For the 2020s (2020-2039) and 2050s (2040-2069), changes in the range of annual mean precipitation are predicted to be between -10% and +25%, and between -5% and +35% for the 2080s (2070-2099) Temperatures are predicted to rise between 0.5 and 3°C for the 2020s, between 1 and 5°C for the 2050s, and between 2 and 6.5°C for the 2080s. Winter and spring are predicted to see the largest range of temperature increase at between 1 and 6°C, compared to summer and fall at 1 to 4°C. The province of Saskatchewan is expected to experience increased severity and frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts, flooding, and forest fires.

Flora and fauna

Plant life

Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area contains approximately 318

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in 58

families Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

. Seven of these plant species are identified as rare for the Saskatchewan area.

Aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species; some, but not all, are classified by botanists in the section ''Populus'', of the ''Populus'' genus. Species These species are called aspens: *'' Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China ...

trees and

trees are the only

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

trees in the area and are quite scarce.

Shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s are present in sufficiently moist hollows within the area. One native grassland complex that encompasses about a tenth of the area is mainly composed of northern rough

fescue ''Festuca'' (fescue) is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the grass family Poaceae (subfamily Pooideae). They are evergreen or herbaceous perennial tufted grasses with a height range of and a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on every ...

and spear grass, with herbaceous species also present including holden bean, northern bedstraw,

crocus ''Crocus'' (; plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of seasonal flowering plants in the family Iridaceae (iris family) comprising about 100 species of perennials growing from corms. They are low growing plants, whose flower stems remain undergro ...

Anemone, low

goldenrod Goldenrod is a common name for many species of flowering plants in the sunflower family, Asteraceae, commonly in reference to the genus ''Solidago''. Several genera, such as ''Euthamia'', were formerly included in a broader concept of the genus ...

, yellow toadflax, and western snowberry. Degrees of alkalinity and slope determine what dominant plants are present. Moisture-tolerant species encompass a lowland complex that covers just over 12% of the area. Mid-slope sites are composed of smooth blue beardtongue,

bastard toadflax Bastard toadflax or bastard-toadflax is a common name for a plant which may refer to: *''Comandra'' *''Thesium humifusum ''Thesium humifusum'' is a species of hemiparasitic flowering plant in the family Santalaceae found in western Europe and nor ...

, early blue violet, and northern bedstraw as dominants. Mid-lower slopes contain northern rough fescue,

Kentucky blue grass ''Poa pratensis'', commonly known as Kentucky bluegrass (or blue grass), smooth meadow-grass, or common meadow-grass, is a perennial species of grass native to practically all of Europe, North Asia and the mountains of Algeria and Morocco. Altho ...

, and green

needle grass The term needlegrass may refer to any of several genera of grasses, including: *'' Achnatherum'' *''Aristida'' (three-awns) *''Hesperostipa'' *''Nassella'' *''Stipa'' *''Triraphis'' See also * Spear grass (disambiguation) * Wiregrass (disambiguat ...

as dominants. Lower slopes see Kentucky blue grass, northern reed grass, graceful sedge, and northern

as dominants. Soil salinity is associated with the following dominant grasses:

Salt grass ''Distichlis spicata'' is a species of Poaceae, grass known by several common names, including seashore saltgrass, inland saltgrass, and desert saltgrass. This grass is native to the Americas, where it is widespread. It can be found on other con ...

wild barley ''Hordeum spontaneum'', commonly known as wild barley or spontaneous barley, is the wild form of the grass in the family Poaceae that gave rise to the cereal barley (''Hordeum vulgare''). Domestication is thought to have occurred on two occasion ...

, and slender wheatgrass. Salt grass and Nuttals' salt-meadow grass are best supported by highly saline areas. A third complex that covers 2% of the area and that is found in wet meadows is composed of wild barley, beaked sedge, awned sedge, and spangletop. Alkaline wetlands make up a fourth complex that covers approximately 1% of the area. When these areas dry out, which occurs frequently, a white alkali flat ringed with red

samphire Samphire is a name given to a number of succulent salt-tolerant plants (halophytes) that tend to be associated with water bodies. *Rock samphire, ''Crithmum maritimum'' is a coastal species with white flowers that grows in Ireland, the Unit ...

, wild barley, Nuttals' salt-meadow grass,

salt grass ''Distichlis spicata'' is a species of Poaceae, grass known by several common names, including seashore saltgrass, inland saltgrass, and desert saltgrass. This grass is native to the Americas, where it is widespread. It can be found on other con ...

, and sea-milkwort is left behind.

Sedges The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' wit ...

and reed grass make up the wetland edge vegetation, with the principal emergents being

bulrush Bulrush is a vernacular name for several large wetland grass-like plants *Sedge family (Cyperaceae): **''Cyperus'' **''Scirpus'' **'' Blysmus'' **''Bolboschoenus'' **''Scirpoides'' **''Isolepis'' **''Schoenoplectus'' **''Trichophorum'' *Typhacea ...

and

cattail ''Typha'' is a genus of about 30 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. These plants have a variety of common names, in British English as bulrush or reedmace, in American English as reed, cattail, or punks, in A ...

. The springs in the northern portion of the area are surrounded by raised bogs that best support cattails,

sedges The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' wit ...

, and northern grass of Parnassus. The blue-green algae species ''

Anabaena ''Anabaena'' is a genus of filamentous cyanobacteria that exist as plankton. They are known for nitrogen-fixing abilities, and they form symbiotic relationships with certain plants, such as the mosquito fern. They are one of four genera of cyanob ...

'', ''Anacystis,'' and ''

Aphanizomenon ''Aphanizomenon'' is a genus of cyanobacteria that inhabits freshwater lakes and can cause dense blooms. They are unicellular organisms that consolidate into linear (non-branching) chains called trichomes. Parallel trichomes can then further uni ...

'' are crucial to the area.

Birds

Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area experiences a wealth of birdlife. The wide array of birdlife in the Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area can be attributed to it being one of the most productive lakes in southern Saskatchewan and to it being located in the heart of the

Central Flyway The Central Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Great Plains in the United States and Canada. The main endpoints of the flyway include the Canadian Prairies and the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico; the migration rout ...

of North America. Large populations of birds use the region’s habitats as they cross the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

. During migration, more than 300 bird species have been documented in the Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area. Throughout peak migration, up to 50,000 cranes, 450,000

geese A goose (plural, : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family (biology), family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser (bird), Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some o ...

, and several hundred thousand

ducks Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...

can be visible. It is a vital breeding ground for approximately 100 bird species that are unique to the prairie region, as well as a nesting ground for nine species of shorebirds, 43 species of songbirds, and 13 species of ducks. Some of these include

western grebe The western grebe (''Aechmophorus occidentalis'') is a species in the grebe family of water birds. Folk names include "dabchick", "swan grebe" and "swan-necked grebe". Western grebe fossils from the Late Pleistocene of southwest North America we ...

American white pelican The American white pelican (''Pelecanus erythrorhynchos'') is a large aquatic soaring bird from the order Pelecaniformes. It breeds in interior North America, moving south and to the coasts, as far as Central America and South America, in winte ...

American avocet The American avocet (''Recurvirostra americana'') is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae, that is found in North America. It spends much of its time foraging in shallow water or on mud flats, often sweeping its bill fro ...

, and

Wilson's phalarope Wilson's phalarope (''Phalaropus tricolor'') is a small wader. This bird, the largest of the phalaropes, breeds in the prairies of North America in western Canada and the western United States. It is migratory, wintering in inland salt lakes nea ...

. At the north end of the lake,

Ducks Unlimited Canada Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is a Canadian non-profit organization that works to conserve, restore and manage Canadian wetlands in order to preserve habitat for North American waterfowl, wildlife and people. They work with industry leaders, govern ...

has constructed water control structures that provide supplementary marsh habitat for waterfowl and mud flats for shorebirds. When it comes to threatened, endangered, and vulnerable bird species, many of them rely on the National Wildlife Area’s legal protection. These birds occupy several islands on the lake as well as floating platforms in the marsh. Nine of Canada's 36 classified species by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) have satisfactory habitat within the Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area. These species include

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (Bird of prey, raptor) in the family (biology), family Falco ...

piping plover The piping plover (''Charadrius melodus'') is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange-red legs, a black band across the forehead from e ...

whooping crane The whooping crane (''Grus americana'') is the tallest North American bird, named for its whooping sound. It is an endangered crane species. Along with the sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis''), it is one of only two crane species native to N ...

, Sprague’s pipit,

ferruginous hawk The ferruginous hawk, (''Buteo regalis''), is a large bird of prey and belongs to the broad-winged buteo hawks. An old colloquial name is ferrugineous rough-leg, due to its similarity to the closely related rough-legged hawk (''B. lagopus''). ...

loggerhead shrike The loggerhead shrike (''Lanius ludovicianus'') is a passerine bird in the family Laniidae. It is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America; the related northern shrike (''L. borealis'') occurs north of its range, however it ...

, Baird’s sparrow,

Caspian tern The Caspian tern (''Hydroprogne caspia'') is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no accepted subspecies. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ' ...

, and

Cooper’s hawk Cooper's hawk (''Accipiter cooperii'') is a medium-sized hawk native to the North American continent and found from southern Canada to Mexico. This species is a member of the genus ''Accipiter'', sometimes referred to as true hawks, which are f ...

Other wildlife

In addition to migratory birds, the Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area is also utilized by other wildlife including

sharp-tailed grouse The sharp-tailed grouse (''Tympanuchus phasianellus''), also known as the sharptail or fire grouse, is a medium-sized prairie grouse. One of three species in the genus ''Tympanuchus'', the sharp-tailed grouse is found throughout Alaska, much of N ...

Hungarian partridge The grey partridge (''Perdix perdix''), also known as the gray-legged partridge, English partridge, Hungarian partridge, or hun, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. The scientific name i ...

red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...

badger Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united b ...

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecologica ...

white-tailed jackrabbit The white-tailed jackrabbit (''Lepus townsendii''), also known as the prairie hare and the white jack, is a species of hare found in western North America. Like all hares and rabbits, it is a member of the family Leporidae of order Lagomorpha ...

s, and

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

. Important fish spawning areas are found within the marshes, streams, and shallow waters of the lake. These aquatic areas support approximately 18 fish species including

bigmouth buffalo Bigmouth may refer to: * "Bigmouth", a song by Underworld (band), Underworld * Bigmouth, List of characters in The Smurfs#The villains, an ogre in ''The Smurfs'' comics and animated cartoon series Marine life * Bigmouth buffalo, fish * Bigmouth ...

, which is considered a vulnerable species.

Plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) that are unable to propel themselves against a Ocean current, current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankt ...

are crucial in the area’s aquatic food chain.

Threats

There are numerous

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...

present, which are considered one of the main threats to the area. These species include smooth brome grass,

, quack grass, toadflax, nodding thistle, and

sweet clover ''Melilotus'', known as melilot, sweet clover, and kumoniga (from the Cumans),Bulgarian Folk Customs, Mercia MacDermott, pg 27 is a genus in the family Fabaceae (the same family that also includes the ''Trifolium'' clovers). Members are known a ...

. Other main threats to the area include

gravel Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gravel is classifi ...

extraction,

habitat fragmentation Habitat fragmentation describes the emergence of discontinuities (fragmentation) in an organism's preferred environment (habitat), causing population fragmentation and ecosystem decay. Causes of habitat fragmentation include geological processes ...

, and other human influences.

Regulations

To protect the flora and fauna of the area, there are rules and regulations put in place restricting access to certain activities. Authorized activities include: * Driving and cycling on gravel roads, designated interpretive trails, and boardwalks * Canoeing, kayaking, and other non-motorized boating on the internal basins except during the waterbird breeding seasons (May-July) * Sport hunting and fishing with certain restrictions * Non-commercial berry * Hiking along designated trails, roads, and boardwalks * Cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and skating * Swimming * Wildlife viewing Activities that are prohibited include: * Sport hunting with a commercial guide *

Camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

* Use of motorized boats These regulations are put in place to protect the wildlife and plant species' habitats as well as the lives of the people who visit.

Environment and Climate Change Canada Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC; french: Environnement et Changement climatique Canada),Environment and Climate Change Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of the Environment ...

's Wildlife Enforcement Directorate (ECCC-WED) officers are put in place to ensure the compliance with these regulations among all visitors to the park. The management plan not only restricts activities available to the public, it also implements restorative and conservative strategies that benefit the habitat and species of the area. Beneficial activities in the management plan include: * Monitoring wildlife * Maintaining and improving wildlife habitat *# Removing invasive plant species *# Prepare soil for planting *# Prescribed fire * Periodic inspections * Enforcement of regulations *# Restricted sport hunting * Maintenance of facilities and infrastructure * Research

References

External links

* {{Authority control IUCN Category IV Migratory Bird Sanctuaries of Canada Important Bird Areas of Saskatchewan National Historic Sites in Saskatchewan 1887 establishments in Canada Last Mountain Valley No. 250, Saskatchewan