Makwa Lake, which is

Cree The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations. In Canada, over 350,000 people are Cree o ...

for ''

Loon Loons ( North American English) or divers ( British / Irish English) are a group of aquatic birds found in much of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are members of the genus ''Gavia'', family Gaviidae and order ...

'' Lake, is a lake in the west-central region of 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 Nor ...

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 ...

in the transition zone between parkland and

boreal forest Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic and Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruc ...

. The

Battle of Loon Lake The Battle of Loon Lake, also known as the Battle of Steele Narrows, concluded the North-West Rebellion on June 3, 1885, and was the last battle fought on Canadian soil. It was fought in what was then the District of Saskatchewan of the Nort ...

, which was last battle of the

North-West Rebellion The North-West Rebellion (french: Rébellion du Nord-Ouest), also known as the North-West Resistance, was a Resistance movement, resistance by the Métis people (Canada), Métis people under Louis Riel and an associated uprising by First Natio ...

, happened at Steele Narrows, a strait at the entrance to Sanderson Bay on Makwa Lake. The site is now part of Steele Narrows Provincial Park. Makwa Lake is home to a section of Makwa Lake Provincial Park, two Fist Nations ( Thunderchild and Makwa Sahgaiehcan), and two communities ( Loon Lake and Pine Cove). Pine Cove and Loon Lake are along the eastern shore and accessed from Highway 26 while Highway 699 runs along the southern shore and provides access to both provincial parks. The two First Nations each have two

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." In ...

s at the lake: Thunderchild 115S, Thunderchild 115Z,

Makwa Lake 129 Makwa Lake 129 is an Indian reserve of the Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation in Saskatchewan. It is 151 kilometres northwest of North Battleford. In the 2016 Canadian Census The 2016 Canadian census was an enumeration of Canadian residents, whic ...

, and

Makwa Lake 129B Makwa Lake 129B is an Indian reserve of the Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation in Saskatchewan. It is 95 miles northwest of North Battleford. In the 2016 Canadian Census The 2016 Canadian census was an enumeration of Canadian residents, which count ...

. At the lake's outflow, at the north-east corner, is a small dam called Makwa Lake Control that is used to control lake levels.

Description

Makwa Lake is divided into two main bodies – one to the east and one to the west. Originally the sections were considered separate lakes with the western part being called ''Loon Lake''. They are separated by a shallow, marshy

strait A strait is an oceanic landform connecting two seas or two other large areas of water. The surface water generally flows at the same elevation on both sides and through the strait in either direction. Most commonly, it is a narrow ocean chan ...

near where Ministikwan Creek enters the lake. The communities of Pine Cove and Loon Lake, Makwa River, and Makwa Lake Provincial Park are on the eastern side while Steele Narrows Provincial Park and Sanderson Bay are on the western side. Sanderson Bay is also referred to as Upper and Lower Tullibee Lake. Upper Makwa Lake is a narrow lake between the two main bodies of Makwa Lake and north of Jumbo Lake that drains into Sanderson Bay. Jumbo Lake flows into the eastern body of Makwa Lake via the smaller Little Jumbo Lake. While several small creeks flow into Makwa Lake, Ministikwan Creek is the primary inflow. It begins from the west at Ministikwan Lake.

Parks and recreation

Makwa Lake Provincial Park was created in 1986 and is located on the north-eastern shore of Makwa Lake and around the neighbouring Little Jumbo and Jumbo Lakes. The main entrance to the park is at the south-east corner of Makwa Lake and about west of the village of Loon Lake. Steele Narrows Provincial Park is a small park located at Steele Narrows, which is the entrance to Sanderson Bay. The park is the site of the

, which was not only the last battle of the

but also the last battle fought on Canadian soil. The site is 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 ...

and there are commemorative plaques, a picnic area, and a boat launch. Both provincial parks are accessed from Highway 699.

Fish species

Fish commonly found in the lake include

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

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 ...

, and

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 Sam ...

References

External links

1885 military map of Loon Lake
{{Authority control Lakes of Saskatchewan Loon Lake No. 561, Saskatchewan Division No. 17, Saskatchewan

Description

Parks and recreation

Fish species

See also

References

External links