Peter Pond Lake

Peter Pond Lake^[3] is a glacial lake in the north-western part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is located in the boreal forest and Canadian Shield within the Churchill River drainage basin.^[4][5]

Peter Pond Lake
NASA map showing Peter Pond Lake[1]
Peter Pond Lake Location in Saskatchewan Show map of Saskatchewan Peter Pond Lake Peter Pond Lake (Canada) Show map of Canada
Location	Northern Saskatchewan Administration District
Coordinates	55.9161°N 108.7341°W / 55.9161; -108.7341
Type	Glacial lake
Primary inflows	Dillon River La Loche River
Primary outflows	Kisis Channel
Catchment area	9,713 km2 (3,750 sq mi)
Basin countries	Canada
Surface area	778 km2 (300 sq mi)
Average depth	13.7 m (45 ft)
Max. depth	24 m (79 ft)
Water volume	10.6 km3 (2.5 cu mi)
Residence time	6.5 years
Shore length1	124 km (77 mi)
Surface elevation	421 m (1,381 ft)
Islands	Kazan Island Chartier Island
Settlements	Buffalo Narrows Dillon Michel Village
References	[2]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Description

John Franklin's Coppermine Expedition map of 1819–1822 shows the fur trade route from Île-à-la-Crosse to Methye Portage

Peter Pond Lake was on the fur trade route to the Methye Portage which connected Eastern Canada to the Mackenzie River area. The lake is a long oval tending to the north-west. A peninsula which almost reaches the west shore divides it into Big Peter Pond (the northern two thirds) and Little Peter Pond. On the east side of Little Peter Pond a narrow isthmus separates it from Churchill Lake, the two forming a broad "V". The La Loche River, which drains Lac La Loche comes in from the north while the Dillon River, with the village of Dillon at its mouth, comes in from the west. The lake drains into Churchill Lake through the Kisis Channel^[6] at Buffalo Narrows. Originally called Big and Little Buffalo Lakes, it was renamed after Peter Pond in 1931. It is on Highway 155 which passes through Buffalo Narrows.^[7]

Buffalo Narrows Sand Dunes Park

Buffalo Narrows Sand Dunes Park on Big Peter Pond Lake

Buffalo Narrows Sand Dunes Park (55.8834°N 108.6007°W / 55.8834; -108.6007) (formally Big Buffalo Beach Recreation Site),^[8] is a recreation site about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of Buffalo Narrows. The park is 3,650 hectares (9,000 acres) and has a 10-kilometre (6.2 mi) long, white-sand beach and sand hills. The park is on a peninsula that separates "Big" and "Little" Peter Pond Lake. Amenities include a picnic area and change rooms. Access is from Highway 155. The park was originally Crown land and operated by the Saskatchewan government but was transferred to the local community of Buffalo Narrows in 2003. The sandy beaches are a nesting site for the endangered piping plover.^[9][10][11]

Fish species

The lake's fish species include: walleye, sauger, yellow perch, northern pike, lake trout, lake whitefish, cisco, white sucker, longnose sucker, and burbot.^[12][13]

See also

• List of lakes of Saskatchewan
• Tourism in Saskatchewan