Pigeon Lake is a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

in central

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

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 ...

that straddles the boundary between

Leduc County Leduc County is a municipal district in Alberta, Canada that is immediately south of the City of Edmonton. It spans east to west and north to south, and has a population of 14,416. The municipal district is home to prairie parkland and several ...

and the County of Wetaskiwin No. 10. It is located close to

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

, Leduc and

Wetaskiwin Wetaskiwin ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. The city is located south of the provincial capital of Edmonton. The city name comes from the Cree word ''wītaskiwinihk'', meaning "the hills where peace was made". Wetaskiwin is ...

. Communities located along the lakeshore include Pigeon Lake Indian Reserve 138A, ten summer villages ( Argentia Beach, Crystal Springs, Golden Days, Grandview, Itaska Beach,

Ma-Me-O Beach Ma-Me-O Beach, Alberta, is a summer village located on the southeast shore of Pigeon Lake, in Alberta, Canada. It is located approximately southwest of Edmonton. Ma-Me-O derives from the Cree word for "pigeon", (). It was founded in 1924. ...

, Norris Beach, Poplar Bay, Silver Beach and Sundance Beach), and four unincorporated communities ( Fisher Home, Mission Beach, Mulhurst Bay and

Village at Pigeon Lake Village at Pigeon Lake is a hamlet in central Alberta, Canada within the County of Wetaskiwin No. 10. It is located north of Highway 13, approximately west of Wetaskiwin. The hamlet is home to an eponymous resort and commercial development t ...

). The lake has a total area of and a maximum depth of . It has a catchment area of , and is an early tributary of the

Battle River Battle River is a river in central Alberta and western Saskatchewan. It is a major tributary of the North Saskatchewan River. The Battle River flows for and has a total drainage area of . The mean discharge is 10 m³/s at its mouth. His ...

, to which it is connected through the Pigeon Lake Creek. Pigeon Lake was previously called "Woodpecker Lake". The name was changed to Pigeon Lake in 1858. In 1896, Pigeon Lake Indian Reserve was established on the southeast shore. Later, the summer village of Ma-Me-O Beach was developed at the south end of the lake on land obtained from the Indian reserve in 1924. Ma-Me-O (omîmîw) is a Cree word meaning "pigeon".

Conservation

The

Pigeon Lake Provincial Park Pigeon Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park located in central Alberta, 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 ...

is established on the western shore of the lake and is accessed from Highway 771. The Pigeon Lake Watershed Association promotes protection of the lake and beneficial management practices in its watershed.

Development

Pigeon Lake is one of the most intensely used recreational areas in Alberta, with 10

summer village Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, with ...

s, 4 unincorporated communities, and over 2,300 private cottages along its shores. The summer villages include Argentia Beach, Crystal Springs, Golden Days, Grandview, Itaska Beach, Ma-Me-O Beach, Norris Beach, Poplar Bay, Silver Beach and Sundance Beach. The unincorporated communities include Fisher Home, Mission Beach, Mulhurst Bay and Village at Pigeon Lake. A fifth unincorporated community,

Westerose Westerose is a hamlet in central Alberta, Canada within the County of Wetaskiwin No. 10. It is located on Highway 13, approximately west of Wetaskiwin. Demographics Westerose recorded a population of 63 in the 1991 Census of Population con ...

, is located to the south of the lake on

Highway 13 The following roads may be referred to as Route 13 or Highway 13. For a list of roads named A13, see List of A13 roads. International * Asian Highway 13 * European route E13 * European route E013 Afghanistan *The Kabul–Behsud Highway - N ...

Transportation

The lake and its communities are accessed along Highway 13 on the south side, Highway 771 on the west side, Highway 616 on the north side, and Highway 780 on the east side.

Management

Concerns over frequency and intensity of cyanobacterial blooms has prompted study of the lake and its watershed. Water sampling was undertaken to characterize water quality, sediment quality, and non-fish biota. This data was then used to create a nutrient budget for lake and to undertake a model to explore future management options. The watershed community is working to address the sources of external nutrients entering the lake, collaboratively led by the Pigeon Lake Watershed Association and the Alliance of Pigeon Lake Municipalities. Outputs to date include a model land use bylaw for development and redevelopment of land within of the shoreline, healthy lake lawn maintenance and work on runoff, which is the source of nearly half of the lake's external nutrients.

References

External links