Winnipeg is the fifth largest lake in Canada.It is quite large and deep, therefore it is the twelfth largest freshwater reservoir in the world. Lake Winnipeg is located in the province of Manitoba. This area is located in the center of Canada.
Characteristics of the lake
Reservoir refers to the drainage basin of the Hudson Bay. The lake area is about 24 thousand square meters. km Where is Lake Winnipeg, we already know, and what are its features?
The shape of it is elongated in the meridionalabout 400 km. The reservoir consists of two parts connected by a channel. The average depth is insignificant - about 12 m, the narrow connecting channel between the northern and southern parts reaches a depth of 36 m. The lake is located just 55 km from the city of the same name (north direction). Together with the neighboring reservoirs of Manitoba and Winnipegosis, Winnipeg makes up the Inter-region region, which is part of the Manitoba Lowland.
Origin and Nutrition
Lake Winnipeg is of glacial origin, alonefrom the remnants of a huge reservoir Agassiz that existed on the site of modern southern Canada in the first millennium after the retreat of the last glacier. It is fed by the waters of several rivers, the most significant among them are Saskatchewan, Red River, Bloodwyn and Winnipeg. The runoff is through the Nelson watercourse, blocked by thirteen dams and flowing into the Hudson Bay.
A bit of history
Озеро Виннипег было открыто в 1690 году the wandering mechanic Henry Kelsey, who left a name after the water, heard from the Cree Indians and meaning “muddy waters”. The development of the area by the French colonialists who came from the Great Lakes began with the construction of the first forts in the 30s of the XVIII century. After the defeat of France in the seven-year war and the transition of Canada under the rule of the British Empire, the Red River colony, based on the eponymous river 55 km south of the lake, took the name Winnipeg. In the 18th-19th centuries, it was the administrative center of the Hudson's Bay Company, which exploited the natural resources of the region, and is now the capital of the province of Manitoba.
An important shopping area passed through Lake Winnipeg.route connecting the northern land of Rupert and thirteen colonies of the Atlantic coast. This route was used by fur traders, and its value increased after the independence of the United States.
Coastline Features
The eastern coast is covered with relict taigaforests with the prospect of obtaining from UNESCO the status of a natural area that is part of the World Heritage. On the south side, the shape of the coastline of Winnipeg Lake has not changed significantly. On the coastal zone of the lake are sandy beaches, popular with tourists, as well as limestone cliffs with caves, inhabited by numerous flocks of bats. Recently, coastal erosion processes have been observed. This is due to human intervention in the nature of the reservoir.
Flora and fauna
Aquatic flora and fauna are diverse.Amateur and industrial fishing is developed on the lake. The latter industry brings up to 30 million dollars a year, mainly due to the extraction of whitefish and perch. Also in Winnipeg, pike, perch and acclimatized carp are caught.
Neighborhood
On the banks of the reservoir there are many inhabitedpoints in which live more than 23 thousand permanent residents, including a large number of Indians and mestizos. On the south side, Lake Winnipeg is inhabited by representatives of the ancient community of Icelandic settlers Gimli, which was founded in 1887 and owned the best beaches. Since 1890, the annual Icelandic festival Manitoba has been held there, gathering up to 50 thousand people, whom the organizers offer to “feel like a Viking.” The tourism industry brings in about $ 100 million annually and includes swimming, boating, sailing and windsurfing on the east and west coasts of the southern part of the lake.
Problems
Serious threat to fishing and tourismrepresents the spread of blue-green algae, Escherichia coli and cyanobacteria, which has increased in the last 30 years in connection with the construction of the hydropower plant in Grand Repids on the Saskatchewan River. Under pressure from the public and tourism industry, which is suffering from the closure of beaches during the flowering period, Manitoba Hydro, which regulates the flow of Saskatchewan, is forced to allocate large amounts of money to conduct ongoing environmental monitoring.
