West Hawk Lake

West Hawk Lake is an impact crater lake on the Whiteshell River located in the Whiteshell Provincial Park in southeastern Manitoba, Canada. The circular shape of the main body of the lake is due to the submerged West Hawk crater, caused by a meteor impact into an ancient rock bed composed of mostly granite. At 115 metres (377 ft), it is the deepest lake in Manitoba.

West Hawk Lake
Satellite image (Landsat)
West Hawk Lake is located in Manitoba
West Hawk Lake
West Hawk Lake
LocationWhiteshell Provincial Park, Manitoba
Coordinates49°45′54″N 95°11′16″W
TypeImpact crater lake
Primary inflowsnumerous small streams and underground springs
Primary outflowsWhiteshell River
Basin countriesCanada
Max. length4.5 km (2.8 mi)
Max. width3.6 km (2.2 mi)
Surface area16.2 km2 (6.3 sq mi)
Max. depth115 m (377 ft)
Surface elevation329 m (1,079 ft)
Islands12
WebsiteParks and protected spaces

Granite cliffs surround parts of the lake. This area is also known as part of the Canadian Shield that was formed billions of years ago. Parts of the Whiteshell park have elaborate petroforms that were made by First Nation peoples, possibly over a thousand years ago. There are petroform shapes of turtles, snakes, humans and geometrical patterns, often found upon pink granite ridges that were shaped during the last ice age.

A marine glacial relict, the Deepwater sculpin is found in West Hawk Lake.[1][2]

The lake has private cottages, public beaches, campgrounds and other tourism amenities, and extensive undeveloped shoreline, and is popular for boating, sailing, Wakeboarding and scuba diving. It is just north of the Trans-Canada Highway, and on the Trans Canada Trail, on the border of Manitoba and Ontario.

References

  1. Murray, L.; Papst, M. H.; Reist, J. D. (2003). "First Record of the Deepwater Sculpin, Myoxocephalus thompsonii, from George Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park, Manitoba". The Canadian Field-Naturalist. 117 (4): 642–644. doi:10.22621/cfn.v117i4.815. Retrieved 27 June 2022. The only other Manitoba lakes with known populations of Deepwater Sculpin are Lake Athapapuskow and West Hawk Lake.
  2. Stewart, Kenneth W.; Watkinson, Douglas A. (2004). Freshwater Fishes of Manitoba. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press. ISBN 9780887556784.


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