Quill Lakes
| Quill Lakes | |
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A piping plover running on a beach
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| Coordinates | 51°55′N 104°20′W / 51.917°N 104.333°WCoordinates: 51°55′N 104°20′W / 51.917°N 104.333°W |
| Area | 635 square kilometres (245 sq mi) |
| Designated | 27 May 1987 |
The Quill Lakes is a wetland complex in Saskatchewan, Canada that encompasses the endorheic basin of three distinct lake wetlands: Big Quill Lake, Middle Quill Lake and Little Quill Lake. On May 27, 1987, it was designated a wetland of international importance via the Ramsar Convention. It was the first Canadian site in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, is a site in the International Biological Programme and Saskatchewan Heritage Marsh Program, and was designated a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site of International significance in May, 1994. The site is an important staging and breeding area for spring and fall migration of shorebirds. The site qualifies as an Important Bird Area for its globally and nationally significant migratory and breeding populations of more than a dozen species of birds.
The lakes were named for bird quills collected near shorelines and shipped to England for use as quill pens. Quill Lakes is Canada's largest saline lake, covering an area of about 635 square kilometres (245 sq mi). Salinity varies within the lakes and with their water levels, but effectively limits the floral diversity of the region. Located directly north of Regina and east of Saskatoon, it is primarily provincial Crown land administered by the Fish and Wildlife Branch of Saskatchewan Environment. The surrounding area, consisting of glacial moraines, is mostly used for agricultural purposes. Big Quill Lake is pear-shaped and approximately 27 km long, measuring 18 km at its widest point. Middle Quill Lake, also known as Mud Lake, is the smallest of the three, about 6 km long and 3 km wide. Little Quill Lake is 24 km long and 11 km wide. Islands located on Middle Quill Lake have been designated provincial wildlife refuges to protect breeding colonies of American white pelican and double-crested cormorant.
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