Cypress Lake (Saskatchewan)

Cypress Lake[1] is an interbasin transfer reservoir in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan on the southern slopes of the Cypress Hills in the Rural Municipality of Reno No. 51. The reservoir was created by the damming of the east and west sides of a much smaller Cypress Lake in the late 1930s. There is a provincial recreation site on the southern shore and a wildlife refuge on Heglund Island in the lake. Access to the lake is from Township Road 60 off of Highway 21.[2][3][4]

Cypress Lake
Cypress Lake is located in Saskatchewan
Cypress Lake
Cypress Lake
Location in Saskatchewan
Cypress Lake is located in Canada
Cypress Lake
Cypress Lake
Cypress Lake (Canada)
LocationRM of Reno No. 51,  Saskatchewan
Coordinates49.4667°N 109.4674°W / 49.4667; -109.4674
TypeReservoir
Primary outflowsFrenchman River
Basin countries Canada
Surface area2,244.7 ha (5,547 acres)
Max. depth5.5 m (18 ft)
Shore length139.43 km (24.50 mi)
Surface elevation969 m (3,179 ft)
IslandsHeglund Island
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Cypress Lake is the source of the Frenchman River and, being an interbasin reservoir, it supplies water to both the Frenchman River and Battle Creek watersheds. Frenchman River begins at Dam One on the eastern end of the lake while an outlet canal from Dam Two on the western end supplies water to Battle Creek.

Irrigation project

The building of the two dams of Cypress Lake were part of a larger project to bring stability to the water levels of Battle Creek[5] as during the summer months, Battle Creek would often run dry. In 1936, near the headwaters of Battle Creek in the Cypress Hills, a dam was built along Adams Creek – a tributary of Battle Creek – that created Adams Lake (49.6582°N 109.8455°W / 49.6582; -109.8455). During the dry months, water could be released from Adams Lake to help prevent Battle Creek from dying up, which allowed for irrigation throughout the growing season. With plans originally conceived in 1908, Cypress Lake was also turned into a reservoir in the late 1930s.

In 1937, contracts were handed out to several different companies to build various parts of the reservoir project at Cypress Lake, such as the building of Dam One at the east end of the lake, Dam Two at the west end, supply canals, outlet canals, the concrete structure, and the gravel facing for the earthen dams. Water for Cypress lake is supplied by diverting water from Belanger, Battle, and Sucker Creeks. Like Adams Lake, water from Cypress Lake is stored and then released during the dry season.[6][7]

Cypress Lake Recreation Site

Cypress Lake Recreation Site (49.4554°N 109.5012°W / 49.4554; -109.5012)[8] is a provincial recreation site on the southern shore of Cypress Lake. It is a small, free campground with lake access and a boat launch.[9][10]

Heglund Island Wildlife Refuge

Heglund Island Wildlife Refuge (49.4726°N 109.4615°W / 49.4726; -109.4615)[11] is a Saskatchewan wildlife refuge on Heglund Island in Cypress Lake.[12][13]

Fish species

Fish commonly found in the lake include walleye and northern pike.[14][15]

See also

References
  1. "Cypress Lake". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  2. "Cypress Lake Fishing Map". GPS Nautical Charts. Bist LLC. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  3. "Cypress Lake, Saskatchewan Map". Geodata. Geodata.us. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  4. "Cypress Lake". Geoview.info. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  5. "Battle Creek". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  6. "Adams and Cypress Lake Reservoirs". Consul Museum. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  7. "06157000 CYPRESS LAKE NEAR CONSUL, SASKATCHEWAN" (PDF). The United States Geological Survey. usgs.gov. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  8. "Cypress Lake Recreation Site". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  9. "Cypress Lake Recreation Site". BRMB. Backroad Mapbooks (BRMB). Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  10. "Cypress Lake Recreation Site". Campendium. Campendium Inc. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  11. "Heglund Island Wildlife Refuge". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  12. "The Wildlife Management Zones and Special Areas Boundaries Regulations, 1990" (PDF). Wildlife Management Zones, Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan Government. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  13. "Heglund Island Wildlife Refuge". Geoview.info. Geoview. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  14. "Cypress Lake". Fishbrain. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  15. "Cypress Lake". Angler's Atlas. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
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