Old Wives Lake
Encyclopedia
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 mudflat
s. 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". In the 1950s and 1960s sodium sulfate
harvesting from the lake began. Water is diverted into nearby Frederick Lake (Saskatchewan) for evaporation
.
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.
A town of the same name (Old Wives) is located north of the lake on Highway 363
.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, about 30 km southwest of Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Moose Jaw is a city in south-central Saskatchewan, Canada on the Moose Jaw River. It is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians. It is best known as a retirement and tourist city that serves as a hub to the hundreds of small towns...
. The lake is fed by the Wood River but seasonal water relatively flattened the terrain, and as such results in significant mudflat
Mudflat
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats, are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers. They are found in sheltered areas such as bays, bayous, lagoons, and estuaries. Mudflats may be viewed geologically as exposed layers of bay mud, resulting from deposition of...
s. 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
Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network
The Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network is a conservation strategy targeting shorebirds in the Americas launched in 1985. Its aim is to protect the nesting, breeding and staging habitats of migratory shorebirds...
. It was designated in April 1997, and is "one of the most important inland sites for migratory birds in North America". In the 1950s and 1960s sodium sulfate
Sodium sulfate
Sodium sulfate is the sodium salt of sulfuric acid. When anhydrous, it is a white crystalline solid of formula Na2SO4 known as the mineral thenardite; the decahydrate Na2SO4·10H2O has been known as Glauber's salt or, historically, sal mirabilis since the 17th century. Another solid is the...
harvesting from the lake began. Water is diverted into nearby Frederick Lake (Saskatchewan) for evaporation
Evaporation
Evaporation is a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs only on the surface of a liquid. The other type of vaporization is boiling, which, instead, occurs on the entire mass of the liquid....
.
One legend as to how the lake got its name is that sometime around 1840, a Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
camp by the lake was discovered by a scouting party of Blackfoot
Blackfoot
The Blackfoot Confederacy or Niitsítapi is the collective name of three First Nations in Alberta and one Native American tribe in Montana....
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.
A town of the same name (Old Wives) is located north of the lake on Highway 363
Saskatchewan Highway 363
Highway 363 is a highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 4 to Highway 2 in Moose Jaw. Highway 363 is about 203 km long....
.