Lake Athabasca, Alberta/Saskatchewan
Published: August 21, 2008, 2:17 pm
Updated: August 21, 2008, 2:17 pm
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor:
Mark McGinley Physical Attributes
- Altitude: 213 m above sea level
- Surface area: 7,770 sq. km
- Mean depth: 20 m
- Maximum depth: 124 m
- Volume: 155 cu. km
- Shoreline length: 2,140 km
- Drainage Basin: 158,000 sq. km
General Description
Lake Athabasca is Canada's eighth largest lake. Approximately 70% of the lake lies within Saskatchewan and the balance is in Alberta. The major water sources are the Athabasca (53%) and Fond du Lac (21%) Rivers. The lake is drained by Riviere des Rochers, its distributary Revillon Coupe, and Chenal des Quatre Forches, all of which join the Peace River to form the Slave River. The Peace-Athabasca Delta, located at the southwestern end of the lake, is one of the world's largest freshwater deltas and is a major wetland area. The shallow lakes and channels associated with the delta are also important spawning areas for lake trout, Arctic grayling, lake whitefish, goldeye, northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. Lake Athabasca also supports large populations of waterfowl and fur-bearing animals. Lake Athabasca's rugged northern shore of Precambrian Shield contrasts with the southern shores characterized by a large area of sand dunes. There are numerous islands throughout the lake, some of which were formed by wave action. Athough the lake is very transparent with low algal concentrations, its recreation value is low compared to other lakes in the area because of its cold temperatures and high waves.
Watershed
The Lake Athabasca drainage basin encompasses an area of 282 000 sq. km that extends from the Columbia Icefield in the Rocky Mountains northeast across Alberta and northern Saskatchewan to Wollaston Lake. The land ranges from flat to mountainous and is mostly covered by forest, bush and wetlands. The bedrock is sandstone or granite and soil types include Grey Luvisols, Fibrisols, Cumulic Regosols, and Humo-Ferric Podzols. Dominant vegetation is trembling aspen, balsam poplar and white spruce. While forestry is the major industry in the Alberta side of the watershed, mining for gypsum, granite, gold and uranium is clustered on the Saskatchewan side. Agriculture is concentrated in the southwestern reaches of the drainage region.
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Citation
Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, Paul D. N. Hebert (Lead Author);Mark McGinley (Topic Editor) "Lake Athabasca, Alberta/Saskatchewan". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth August 21, 2008; Last revised Date August 21, 2008; Retrieved May 23, 2013 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Lake_Athabasca,_Alberta/Saskatchewan>
The Authors
The Biodiversity Institute of Ontario (BIO) is an interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to improving the understanding of biodiversity at all scales, from the genetic to the macroecological. Based at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, BIO is host to more than 30 university faculty and their research groups representing a wide range of biological expertise. BIO also includes specialized support staff and unique research and outreach capabilities designed to foster both academi ... (Full Bio)
After receiving his Ph.D. in genetics at Cambridge University in 1972, Paul Hebert took up a Rutherford Fellowship at the University of Sydney. He returned to Canada in 1976, accepting a position at the University of Windsor where he was a professor in Biological Sciences and Director of the Great Lakes Institute. He moved to the University of Guelph in 1990 as Chair of the Department of Zoology. He has been a visiting professor at the Australian National University, the Czech Academy of Scienc ... (Full Bio)
Physical Attributes
- Altitude: 213 m above sea level
- Surface area: 7,770 sq. km
- Mean depth: 20 m
- Maximum depth: 124 m
- Volume: 155 cu. km
- Shoreline length: 2,140 km
- Drainage Basin: 158,000 sq. km
General Description
Lake Athabasca is Canada's eighth largest lake. Approximately 70% of the lake lies within Saskatchewan and the balance is in Alberta. The major water sources are the Athabasca (53%) and Fond du Lac (21%) Rivers. The lake is drained by Riviere des Rochers, its distributary Revillon Coupe, and Chenal des Quatre Forches, all of which join the Peace River to form the Slave River. The Peace-Athabasca Delta, located at the southwestern end of the lake, is one of the world's largest freshwater deltas and is a major wetland area. The shallow lakes and channels associated with the delta are also important spawning areas for lake trout, Arctic grayling, lake whitefish, goldeye, northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. Lake Athabasca also supports large populations of waterfowl and fur-bearing animals. Lake Athabasca's rugged northern shore of Precambrian Shield contrasts with the southern shores characterized by a large area of sand dunes. There are numerous islands throughout the lake, some of which were formed by wave action. Athough the lake is very transparent with low algal concentrations, its recreation value is low compared to other lakes in the area because of its cold temperatures and high waves.
Watershed
The Lake Athabasca drainage basin encompasses an area of 282 000 sq. km that extends from the Columbia Icefield in the Rocky Mountains northeast across Alberta and northern Saskatchewan to Wollaston Lake. The land ranges from flat to mountainous and is mostly covered by forest, bush and wetlands. The bedrock is sandstone or granite and soil types include Grey Luvisols, Fibrisols, Cumulic Regosols, and Humo-Ferric Podzols. Dominant vegetation is trembling aspen, balsam poplar and white spruce. While forestry is the major industry in the Alberta side of the watershed, mining for gypsum, granite, gold and uranium is clustered on the Saskatchewan side. Agriculture is concentrated in the southwestern reaches of the drainage region.
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(Source: Biodiversity Institute of Ontario)
(Source: Biodiversity Institute of Ontario)
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