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Hay-Zama Lakes

Hay-Zama Lakes
IUCN category Ib (wilderness area)
Location the park in northwestern Alberta, Canada
Location the park in northwestern Alberta, Canada
Location of Hay-Zama Lakes in Canada
Location Mackenzie County, Alberta, Canada
Nearest city High Level, Alberta
Coordinates 58°30′0″N 119°0′0″W / 58.50000°N 119.00000°W / 58.50000; -119.00000
Area 586 km2 (226 sq mi)
Designated 24 May 1982

Hay-Zama Lakes is a 586-square-kilometre (226 sq mi) inland wetland and wildland park in northwestern Alberta, Canada. It was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance on May 24, 1982, and is recognized as an Important Bird Area. It "constitutes one of the most extensive sedge wetlands in western North America".

The site has been under consideration for classification as a World Heritage Site. It is approximately 100 km (62 mi) west-northwest of the town of High Level, 140 kilometres (87 mi) from the border with the Northwest Territories.

It is being twinned with Dalai Lake National Nature Reserve in Inner Mongolia.

An expansive lowland wetland complex, the system consists of eutrophic freshwater lakes, and the floodplains and interior river deltas associated with the Peace River. It is at an elevation of 320 metres (1,050 ft) above sea level.

Water levels are determined by seasonal and annual fluctuations, which may be quite significant. Inflow from the Hay River greatly influences both the size of the lakes and their depth. The largest lake in the system is Zama Lake.

The site has been subject to continuous oil and natural gas extraction and exploration since the 1960s, and is surrounded by degraded landscape as a result. In an agreement between the Dene Tha' First Nation and oil production and exploration companies operating in the wetland complex, no new wells will be built from 2007 onward, and complete cessation of such activities will occur no later than 2017.


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