Waterhen Lake is a lake in
Meadow Lake Provincial Park
Meadow Lake Provincial Park is a northern boreal forest provincial recreational park along the Waterhen and Cold Rivers in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The park was founded on 10 March 1959, is the largest provincial park in Sask ...
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 ...
of
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 ...
, located about north of the city of
Meadow Lake.
The lake is situated along the course of the
Waterhen River in the
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, spruces, ...
ecozone of Canada.
At just over 10,000 hectares in size, it is the second largest lake at least partially within Meadow Lake Provincial Park–the largest being
Cold Lake at the far western end of the park.
Waterhen Indian Reserve No. 130, the reserve community of the
Waterhen Lake First Nation
Waterhen Lake First Nation ( cr, ᓯᐦᑭᐦᑊ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᕽ ''sihkihp sâkahikanihk'') is a Cree First Nation band government located in northwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. As of October 2018 the total membership of the Waterhen Lake F ...
, surrounds most of the eastern portion of the lake and the western half of the lake and the far eastern shore are in Meadow Lake Provincial Park.
Highways 904,
941
Year 941 ( CMXLI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* May – September – Rus'–Byzantine War: The Rus' and their allies, t ...
, and
951
Year 951 ( CMLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* King Berengar II of Italy seizes Liguria, with help from the feudal lord Oberto I. He re ...
provide access to the lake.
Description
Waterhen Lake's primary tributary, the
Waterhen River, flows east from
Lac des Îles for about into the southern shore of Waterhen Lake. The Waterhen River then flows out of the lake at the north-east corner in a north-eastly direction for approximately into
Beaver River, which flows into the
Churchill River at
Lac Île-à-la-Crosse
Lac Île-à-la-Crosse is a Y-shaped lake in North-Central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the Churchill River. At the centre of the Y is the town of Île-à-la-Crosse, the second oldest town in Saskatchewan. The Churchill exits the north-east arm a ...
. The Churchill River is a major river in the
Hudson Bay drainage basin
The Hudson Bay drainage basin is the drainage basin in northern North America where surface water empties into Hudson Bay and adjoining waters. Spanning an area of about , the basin is almost totally in Canada (spanning parts of the Prairies, ce ...
.
[
At the point where the Waterhen River flows into Waterhen Lake, it's a shallow, marshy delta with several other smaller lakes in the vicinity, including Niven Lake, which both Matkin and Iskwayach Lakes flow into, and Redmond Lake. Otter Creek, a tributary of Waterhen River, also flows into the delta. at the eastern end, Jarvis Lake opens up into Waterhen Lake. At the northern end of the lake, two notable tributaries flow into the lake in another marshy delta. Flotten River flows in from Flotten Lake and Short Creek drains Nesootao (Twin) Lakes and Little Lake.
]
Recreation
Situated in a provincial park
Ischigualasto Provincial Park
A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to the ...
, there are many recreational opportunities at Waterhen Lake, including boating, camping, fishing, and swimming.
On the western shore of the lake there is Waterhen Lake Campground,
Fish species
Fish commonly found in the lake include the 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 ...
, 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 ...
, and 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 ...
.
See also
* List of lakes in Saskatchewan
This is a list of lakes of Saskatchewan, a province of Canada. The largest and most notable lakes are listed at the start, followed by an alphabetical listing of other lakes of the province.
Larger lake statistics
"The total area of a lak ...
* Tourism in Saskatchewan There are numerous heritages and cultural attractions in the province of Saskatchewan. Museums, dinosaur digs, aboriginal cultural and heritage sites, art galleries, professional sport venues, spas, handcraft, antique and tea shops, agricultural t ...
References
{{Authority control
Lakes of Saskatchewan
Meadow Lake No. 588, Saskatchewan
Division No. 17, Saskatchewan