Old Wives Lake

Old Wives Lake
Old Wives Lake, as seen from space.
Location	Saskatchewan
Coordinates	50°05′N 106°00′W / 50.083°N 106°W / 50.083; -106Coordinates: 50°05′N 106°00′W / 50.083°N 106°W / 50.083; -106
Lake type	saline
Primary inflows	Wood River
Basin countries	Canada

Old Wives Lake is a shallow saline lake in south central Saskatchewan, Canada, about 30 km southwest of Moose Jaw. The lake is fed by the Wood River but seasonal water relatively flattened the terrain, and as such results in significant mudflats. A Migratory Bird Sanctuary was established at the lake on March 9, 1925. This lake, in conjunction with Reed Lake and Chaplin Lake, forms a site of hemispheric importance in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. It was designated in April 1997, and is "one of the most important inland sites for migratory birds in North America".^[1][2] In the 1950s and 1960s sodium sulfate harvesting from the lake began. Water is diverted into nearby Frederick Lake (Saskatchewan) for evaporation.^[3]

One legend as to how the lake got its name is that sometime around 1840, a Cree camp by the lake was discovered by a scouting party of Blackfoot warriors. Anticipating an attack the next morning, the older women volunteered to stay behind as a diversion while the rest of the Cree escaped in the night. The next morning when the Blackfoot arrived, they found only the old women and killed them in vengeance.^[4]

A town of the same name (Old Wives) is located north of the lake on Highway 363.

References

1. ^ "Saskatchewan Migratory Bird Sanctuary Facts". Environment Canada. http://www.ec.gc.ca/ap-pa/default.asp?lang=En&n=C09A0BB0-1. Retrieved 2011-04-06. 
2. ^ "Chaplin Old Wives Reed Lakes". Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences. http://www.whsrn.org/site-profile/chaplin-old-wives-reed-lakes. Retrieved 2011-04-06. 
3. ^ Marylin, Lewry (2006). "Old Wives Lake". Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Canadian Plains Research Center. http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/old_wives_lake.html. Retrieved 2011-04-06. 
4. ^ "The Legend of Old Wives Lake". Tourism Saskatchewan. http://www.sasktourism.com/whats-happening/old-wives-lake-history. Retrieved 2011-04-06.