Last Mountain Lake, also known as Long Lake, is a

prairie lake A prairie lake is a somewhat shallow lake that will empty naturally during dry seasons, allowing a variety of terrestrial plants to flourish upon the rich nutrients in the exposed lakebed, and the lakes eventually refill with water returning to t ...

formed from

glaciation A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betw ...

11,000 years ago. It is located in south central

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 ...

, Canada, about north-west of the city of Regina. It flows into the

Qu'Appelle River The Qu'Appelle River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba that flows east from Lake Diefenbaker in south-western Saskatchewan to join the Assiniboine River in Manitoba, just south of Lake of the Prairies, near t ...

via Last Mountain Creek, which flows past Craven. It is approximately long, and wide at its widest point. It is the largest naturally occurring body of water in southern Saskatchewan. Only

Lake Diefenbaker Lake Diefenbaker is a reservoir and bifurcation lake in Southern Saskatchewan, Canada. It was formed by the construction of Gardiner Dam and the Qu'Appelle River Dam across the South Saskatchewan and Qu'Appelle Rivers respectively. Construc ...

, which is man-made, is larger. The lake is a popular resort area for residents of south-eastern Saskatchewan. Nasa satellite image of Last Mountain Lake in Saskatchewan

Nasa satellite image of Last Mountain Lake in Saskatchewan

History

In the late 1800s, access to the area for farming and settlement was opened up by the Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railroad and Steamboat Company which also operated steamships on the lake. Until 1974, the lake was known as ''Long Lake''. It was renamed ''Last Mountain Lake'' in honour of a Plains Cree legend about the Great Spirit shovelling dirt from the valley the lake now occupies and forming Last Mountain Hills, east of

Duval Duval is a surname, literally translating from French language, French to English language, English as "of the valley". It derives from the Normans, Norman "Devall", which has both English and French ties. Variant spellings include: Davolls, Deav ...

and

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

Last Mountain House

"Last Mountain House" was a

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 ...

(HBC) trading post from 1869 to 1871. It was a branch of

Fort Qu'Appelle Fort Qu'Appelle is a town in Canadian province of Saskatchewan located in the Qu'Appelle River valley north-east of Regina, between Echo and Mission Lakes of the Fishing Lakes. It is not to be confused with the once-significant nearby t ...

east and was about south-west of Touchwood Hills Post. It was founded in part to compete with the increasing number of independent traders in the area and because the buffalo had moved south from Touchwood Hills. Some time after the second season the post was completely destroyed by fire and was not rebuilt. The House was located on the east side of Last Mountain Lake, about north of the lake's outlet, north-west of Craven, and about north-west of Regina. The area is now part of

Last Mountain House Provincial Park Last Mountain House Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in the RM of Longlaketon. The park is located on the southern end on the eastern shore of Last Mountain Lake, the largest natural lake in southe ...

and on the

Canadian Register of Historic Places The Canadian Register of Historic Places (CRHP; french: Le Répertoire canadien des lieux patrimoniaux), also known as Canada's Historic Places, is an online directory of historic sites in Canada which have been formally recognized for their her ...

Geographical features

Several creeks and rivers flow into the lake, including Arm River, Lewis Creek, and

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 ...

. Last Mountain Creek flows out of the lake at the southern most point and into the

. During years in which the Qu'Appelle River's level is high, the Last Mountain Creek can reverse direction and flow back into Last Mountain Lake. The gates at

Craven Dam Craven Dam is at the confluence of the Qu'Appelle River and Last Mountain Creek and immediately east of the village of Craven on the Qu'Appelle River at SW 24-20-21 W2. It is in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan in the RM of Longlaket ...

on the Qu'Appelle River can be opened or closed for water level control measures. When they're closed, it can backflood water up Last Mountain Creek and into Last Mountain Lake. Named islands at the northern end of the lake include Royal Island, Bird Island, and Coney Island. Near the southern end, on the west side of the lake, is Little Arm Bay, of which the Arm River flows into. Directly across from the bay is Pelican Point. The community of Pelican Pointe is located there.

Last Mountain Lake Sub-basin

The Qu'Appelle River watershed is divided into two main

basins Basin may refer to: Geography and geology * Depression (geology) ** Back-arc basin, a submarine feature associated with island arcs and subduction zones ** Debris basin, designed to prevent damage from debris flow ** Drainage basin (hydrology), a ...

, the Wascana & Upper Qu’Appelle Watersheds and the Lower Qu'Appelle Watershed. Craven Dam at the village of Craven is the dividing point between the upper and lower watersheds of the Qu'Appelle River. The upper watershed is divided into four sub-basins and the Moose Jaw River Watershed, of which Last Mountain Lake Sub-basin is one. The other three sub-basins include Lanigan-Manitou Sub-basin, Wascana Creek Sub-basin, and Upper Qu’Appelle Sub-basin. Last Mountain Lake Sub-basin includes all the land that drains into the lake from the east and west sides of the lake, including Arm River and Lewis Creek. Lanigan Creek at the north end is part of the Lanigan-Manitou Sub-basin and Last Mountain Creek at the south end is part of the Upper Qu’Appelle Sub-basin. The total size of all four sub-basins and the Moose Jaw River Watershed combined is .

Communities

Eight different rural municipalities border at least part of the lake. Clock-wise from the north, RMs include Wreford, Last Mountain Valley, McKillop, Longlaketon, Lumsden, Dufferin,

Sarnia Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes where Lake Huron fl ...

, and Big Arm. Resort communities such as

Kannata Valley Kannata Valley (Canada 2016 Census, 2016 population: ) is a resort village in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Division No. 6, Saskatchewan, Census Division No. 6. It is on the shores of Last Moun ...

, Arlington Beach, Grandview Beach, Eldora Beach,

Regina Beach Regina Beach is a town in south central Saskatchewan, located on Highway 54, close to where Highway 11 (which connects Saskatoon to Regina) intersects with the Qu'Appelle Valley. As Regina Beach rests on shores of the south end of Last Mount ...

, Saskatchewan Beach,

Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to: Places Canada *Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista” *Buena Vista, Saskatchewan *Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood in ...

, Glen Harbour, Alice Beach, Wee Too Beach, Colesdale Park, Spring Bay, Pelican Pointe, Sunset Cove, Island View, Sorensen Beach,

Etters Beach Etters Beach ( 2016 population: 30) is a resort village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan within Census Division No. 11. It is on the west shore of Last Mountain Lake in the Rural Municipality of Big Arm No. 251. History Etters Beac ...

, Mohr's Beach, North Colesdale Park, and Sarnia Beach are on the shores of the lake. Beside Regina Beach, around Little Arm Bay, is

Last Mountain Lake 80A Last Mountain Lake 80A is a shared Indian reserve in Saskatchewan, used by the Day Star, George Gordon, Kawacatoose, Muscowpetung, Muskowekwan, Pasqua, and Piapot First Nations. It is in Township 21, Range 21, west of the Second Meridian. ...

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." Ind ...

Parks and recreation

About south-west of the town of

, along the lake's eastern shore, lies Rowan's Ravine Provincial Park. This park includes a marina, a full-service campground, restaurant, mini-golf, beach, and an outfitters. The beach is along a point and is one of Saskatchewan's longest, natural sand beaches. The marina at the is often used by recreational boaters travelling from Regina Beach as a stop-over or refuelling point and large fishing tournament called Last Mountain Fall Walleye Classic is held there every September.

is located on the south-east shore and provides tours of historical the Last Mountain House, which was built by the

in 1869. At the northern end of the lake, on the eastern shore is Last Mountain Regional Park. The park offers camping, swimming, and golf. It is located about west of Govan, off

Highway 20 Route 20, or Highway 20, may refer to: International * European route E20 Australia * Sturt Highway (NSW/VIC/SA) * Yarra Bank Highway Brazil * BR-020 Canada * Alberta Highway 20 * British Columbia Highway 20 * Manitoba Highway 20 *New B ...

. At the southern end of the lake, where Last Mountain Creek starts, is Valeport Marsh. The area is protected by a 900-acre conservation project called Valeport Wildlife Management Area Trails. It is in conjunction with

Ducks Unlimited Ducks Unlimited (DU) is an American nonprofit organization 501(c) dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. It has had a membership of around 700,000 since January 2013. ...

and part of 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 labelled SK 061 Valeport Marsh. Along the west side of the Management Area is a

Nature Conservancy of Canada The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is a private, non-profit, charitable nature conservation and restoration organization based in Canada. Since its founding in 1962, the organization and its partners have protected of land and water acro ...

property called Big Valley. Big Valley is protected and managed for bird and wildlife habitat. The

United Church of Canada The United Church of Canada (french: link=no, Église unie du Canada) is a mainline Protestant denomination that is the largest Protestant Christian denomination in Canada and the second largest Canadian Christian denomination after the Catholi ...

's Lumsden Beach Camp is " short drive from Regina, ... hugging the south shore of Last Mountain Lake." Founded in 1905, it is the oldest summer camp in

Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada� ...

Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary

The Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary, the first federal bird sanctuary in

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 ...

, was established here in 1887. As the first such

wildlife reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

of this kind on the continent, it was designated a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...

in 1987. Over 280 bird species have been recorded. The lake contains appropriate habitat for nine of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

's 36 species of vulnerable, threatened and endangered birds, such as the peregrine falcon, piping plover,

burrowing owl The burrowing owl (''Athene cunicularia''), also called the shoco, is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or an ...

, and

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 ...

. 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 Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area is a National Wildlife Area (NWA) in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The protected area is in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America, which extends throughout three Canadian provinces and f ...

, which is a site of regional importance in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.

Fish species

The lake contains a host of

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 ...

species including

walleye The walleye (''Sander vitreus'', synonym ''Stizostedion vitreum''), also called the yellow pike or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern United States. It is a North American close relat ...

yellow perch The yellow perch (''Perca flavescens''), commonly referred to as perch, striped perch, American perch, American river perch or preacher is a freshwater perciform fish native to much of North America. The yellow perch was described in 1814 by Samu ...

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 ...

burbot The burbot (''Lota lota'') is the only gadiform (cod-like) freshwater fish Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments di ...

lake whitefish The lake whitefish (''Coregonus clupeaformis'') is a species of freshwater whitefish from North America. Lake whitefish are found throughout much of Canada and parts of the northern United States, including all of the Great Lakes. The lake white ...

cisco Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational digital communications technology conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, ...

bigmouth buffalo Bigmouth may refer to: * "Bigmouth", a song by Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. C ...

white sucker The white sucker (''Catostomus commersonii)'' is a species of freshwater cypriniform fish inhabiting the upper Midwest and Northeast in North America, but it is also found as far south as Georgia and as far west as New Mexico. The fish is common ...

, and common carp.

External links

Fish Species of Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Watershed AuthorityRowan's Ravine Provincial ParkLast Mountain House Provincial Park
{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Mountain Lake Lakes of Saskatchewan Ramsar sites in Canada Hudson's Bay Company trading posts Important Bird Areas of Saskatchewan