Basin and Middle Lakes

<body background="../_themes/mbs/piebkgnd.jpg" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000" link="#996633" vlink="#999966" alink="#CC9966"><font face="Arial, Arial, Helvetica"> <p align="center"><font size="2">This page uses frames.  To view properly, download a browser which supports frames.</font></p> <a name="top"></a> <h1 align="center"><font face="Times New Roman, Times New Roman, Times" color="#996633"><font color="#336600" size="7">Basin and Middle Lakes</font></font></h1> <p align="center"><img src="../_themes/mbs/apierule.gif" width="600" height="10"></p> <p align="center"><script language="JavaScript"></script><script language="JavaScript"></script><a href="../index.htm" language="JavaScript" onmouseover="if(MSFPhover) document['MSFPnav1'].src=MSFPnav1h.src" onmouseout="if(MSFPhover) document['MSFPnav1'].src=MSFPnav1n.src"><img src="../_derived/home_cmp_mbs010_hbtn.gif" width="140" height="60" border="0" alt="Canada" align="middle" name="MSFPnav1"></a> <script language="JavaScript"></script><a href="../alberta.htm" language="JavaScript" onmouseover="if(MSFPhover) document['MSFPnav2'].src=MSFPnav2h.src" onmouseout="if(MSFPhover) document['MSFPnav2'].src=MSFPnav2n.src"><img src="../_derived/alberta.htm_cmp_mbs010_hbtn.gif" width="140" height="60" border="0" alt="Alberta" align="middle" name="MSFPnav2"></a> <script language="JavaScript"></script><a href="../sask.htm" language="JavaScript" onmouseover="if(MSFPhover) document['MSFPnav3'].src=MSFPnav3h.src" onmouseout="if(MSFPhover) document['MSFPnav3'].src=MSFPnav3n.src"><img src="../_derived/sask.htm_cmp_mbs010_hbtn.gif" width="140" height="60" border="0" alt="Saskatchewan" align="middle" name="MSFPnav3"></a> <script language="JavaScript"></script><a href="../nwt.htm" language="JavaScript" onmouseover="if(MSFPhover) document['MSFPnav4'].src=MSFPnav4h.src" onmouseout="if(MSFPhover) document['MSFPnav4'].src=MSFPnav4n.src"><img src="../_derived/nwt.htm_cmp_mbs010_hbtn.gif" width="140" height="60" border="0" alt="NWT/Nunavut" align="middle" name="MSFPnav4"></a> <script language="JavaScript"></script><a href="../mbsa.htm" language="JavaScript" onmouseover="if(MSFPhover) document['MSFPnav5'].src=MSFPnav5h.src" onmouseout="if(MSFPhover) document['MSFPnav5'].src=MSFPnav5n.src"><img src="../_derived/mbsa.htm_cmp_mbs010_hbtn.gif" width="140" height="60" border="0" alt="MBS Act" align="middle" name="MSFPnav5"></a> </p> <p align="center"><img src="../_themes/mbs/apierule.gif" width="600" height="10"></p> <p align="center"><i>Go to the <a href="#bottom">bottom</a> to view the map!</i></p> <p><font color="#800000" size="5">Introduction</font></p> <p> <small>    </small><font SIZE="2">    The Basin (established in 1915) and Middle Lakes (established shortly after 1915) Migratory Bird Sanctuary is located 40 km North of <a href="http://humboldtsk.com/" target="_blank"> Humboldt, Saskatchewan</a> and is also a IBP site.  The exact land location is 52<sup>o</sup>33' North Latitude and 105<sup>o</sup>10' West Longitude.  The sanctuary is approximately 8,720 hectares in size and consists of Provincial Crown Land.  The land consists of 98%, or more, of open water and mudflats, 1% wet meadow/marsh, and 1% rock/sand islands. <br> <br> </font><font size="5" color="#800000">About The Sanctuary</font></p> <font SIZE="2"> <p>    The Basin and Middle Lakes are actually two separate lakes which are only 1.5 km apart.  The two lakes are located in the Boreal parkland ecoregion of Saskatchewan.  Water levels in both lakes seem to change with spring runoffs and seasonal rains.  Basin Lakes has an average depth of only 9 meters and contains several islands, the number of which depends on the water conditions.   Middle Lake is more shallow with an average depth of only 1 meter and it contains only one island.  Both lakes are saline, Middle Lake somewhat more then Basin Lake.</p> <p>   Basin Lake has a rocky and sandy shoreline, a dry meadow zone or mudflat, and is surrounded by trees such as aspen, willow and some white spruce.  The shoreline of Middle Lake is similar with the exception of the extensive wet meadow zones which occur on the East and South shores.  Basin Lake does not contain vegetation with the exception of thin scattered stands of bulrush.  Despite the fact that most of Middle Lake is water, there is good stand of cattail and bulrush which grows in the shallow marshy bay on the South side of the lake.  On the shore, a semi-flooded wet meadow of sedge and willow can be found.  In both lakes, aquatic plants are largely pond weeds which grow in isolated stands in the open water.  Harnwart and water miloil also grow but in the marshy areas of Middle Lake.   </p> <p>    The sanctuary attracts many waterfowl and swans.  In the fall, Basin Lake contains up to 20,000 ducks, divers and dabblers, 400 Canada Geese, and 600 Tundra Swans.  Middle Lake contains approximately half of these numbers.  Breeding for ducks and Canada Geese on both lakes is restricted, due to the lack of suitable habitat.   Several hundred ducks (mostly divers) and geese use the lakes for moulting.</p> <p>    On the small island of Basin Lake, White Pelicans and Double-crested Cormorants nest.  Other waterfowl have been known to breed on these lakes, including Horned, Eared, Western, and Red-necked Grebes, Ring-billed and California Gulls, and Black and Common Terns.  Over 20 shorebird species has been seen in this area including common breeders such as American Avocet and Killdeer.  Suspected breeders are Marbled Godwit, Willet, Piping Plover, Spotted and Upland Sandpipers, and Wilson's Phalarope.</p> <p>    Other species believed to nest here include Horned Lark, Cedar Waxwing, Clay-colored, Vesper, Savannah, Baird's, Le Conte's and Song Sparrows, Easten Kingbird, Barn Swallow, Spragle's, Pipit, Red-eyed Vireo, Western Meadowlark, American Goldfinch, Red-winged and Brewer's Blackbirds, Brown-headed Cowbird, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk (<a href="images/RThawk.AU">click here</a> to listen to their call, courtesy of Tony Phillips), and American Kestrel. </p> <p>    In 1917 and 1918, Dr. R.M. Anderson, a zoologist, recommended that the lakes be considered a permanent sanctuary.  November 9th, 1925, the sanctuary was established by Order-In-Council P.C. 1925-1945.  In 1947, two wildlife officials, one federal and one provincial, inspected and decided the sanctuary would be retained.   Further inspection in 1949-1950 revised the sanctuary boundary to only water area and the island inside it.  This meant the loss of 967 hectares of upland nesting cover.  Follow up evaluations in 1957, 1971, and 1972 concluded that the sanctuary was an important fall staging area.</p> <p>    The Humboldt, Saskatchewan R.C.M.P. patrols the area in spring, summer and fall.  Conservation officers patrol the area during hunting season.</p> </font> <a name="bottom"></a> <p align="center"><img border="2" src="images/BasinMap.gif" alt="Basin & Middle Lakes Migratory Bird Sanctuary" width="367" height="418"></p> <p align="center"><a href="#top">Top</a></p> </font></body>