Lake Minnewanka
| Lake Minnewanka | |
|---|---|
September 2005
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| Location | Banff National Park, Alberta |
| Coordinates | 51°15′29″N 115°22′23″W / 51.25806°N 115.37306°WCoordinates: 51°15′29″N 115°22′23″W / 51.25806°N 115.37306°W |
| Lake type | reservoir, natural lake |
| Primary inflows | Cascade River |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 28 km (17 mi) |
| Max. depth | 142 m (466 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) |
Lake Minnewanka (pronunciation: /ˌmɪnəˈwɑːŋkə/)("Water of the Spirits" in Nakoda) is a glacial lake located in the eastern area of Banff National Park in Canada, about five kilometres (3.1 miles) northeast of the Banff townsite. The lake is 21 km (13 mi) long and 142 m (466 ft) deep, making it the longest lake in the mountain parks of the Canadian Rockies (the result of a power dam at the west end).
The lake is fed by the Cascade River, flowing east of Cascade Mountain, and runs south through Stewart Canyon as it empties into the western end of the lake. Numerous streams flowing down from Mount Inglismaldie, Mount Girouard and Mount Peechee on the south side of the lake also feed the lake.
Aboriginal people long inhabited areas around Lake Minnewanka, as early as 10,000 years ago, according to stone tools and a Clovis point spearhead discovered by archaeologists. The area is rich in animal life (e.g. elk, mule deer, mountain sheep, bears) and the easy availability of rock in the mountainous terrain was key to fashioning weapons for hunting.
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