Opuntia Lake[1] is a shallow, man-made salt lake in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was formed with the construction of the Opuntia Control along Eagle Creek in 1946.[2] The lake is in the Mixed Moist Grassland ecoregion of the Great Plains[3] and the entire lake is part of the Opuntia Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary (MBS).[4] The nearest community is Plenty and there are no public facilities at the lake.[5] The nearest highway is Highway 31.[6] The town of Biggar is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) to the north-east.

Opuntia Lake
Opuntia Lake is located in Saskatchewan
Opuntia Lake
Opuntia Lake
Location in Saskatchewan
Opuntia Lake is located in Canada
Opuntia Lake
Opuntia Lake
Opuntia Lake (Canada)
LocationRM of Winslow No. 319 and RM of Mountain View No. 318, Saskatchewan
Coordinates51°49′00″N 108°35′02″W / 51.8167°N 108.5840°W / 51.8167; -108.5840
TypeSalt lake
Primary inflowsEagle Creek
Primary outflowsEagle Creek
Basin countriesCanada
Managing agencySaskatchewan Water Security Agency
Built1946
Max. length9.8 km (6.1 mi)
Max. width1.6 km (1 mi)
Surface area1,383 ha (3,420 acres)
Water volume18,919 dam3 (15,338 acre⋅ft)
Shore length128 km (17 mi)
SettlementsNone
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Opuntia Lake MBS

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Opuntia Lake MBS is a migratory bird sanctuary that encompasses all of Opuntia Lake and covers an area of 13.91 km2 (5.37 sq mi). It was founded in 1952 and is an important stop-over for migratory birds as it is "strategically positioned along a major flyway for geese and other waterfowl". Birds commonly found at the MBS include the Canada goose, white-fronted goose, snow goose, Ross's gull, mallard, northern pintail, sandhill crane, and the tundra swan.[7][8][9]

Opuntia Lake Control

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Opuntia Lake Control (51°45′43″N 108°32′47″W / 51.7619°N 108.5464°W / 51.7619; -108.5464) is a dam built in 1946 along the course of Eagle Creek. It created Opuntia Lake, which is a reservoir with a volume of 18,919 dam3 (668,100,000 cu ft) and is operated by the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency. The dam measures 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) high.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Opuntia Lake". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Eagle Creek - Hwy 14". BRMB Maps. Mussio Ventures Ltd. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Ecoregions of Saskatchewan". usask. University of Saskatchewan. 30 May 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Opuntia Lake Bird Sanctuary". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Opuntia Lake". Sask Lakes. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Opuntia Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada". Mindat.org. mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Opuntia Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary". ECCC. Government of Canada. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  8. ^ "Opuntia Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary". BRMB Maps. Mussio Ventures Ltd. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Opuntia Lake Bird Sanctuary". European Commission. OSM Mapnik. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Dams and Reservoirs". Water Security Agency. Retrieved 18 March 2024.