Miquelon Lake

Miquelon Lake Provincial Park protects about 13 square kilometres (1,299 hectares) of aspen-covered hills, ponds and marshes at the south end of the Cooking Lake Moraine in central Alberta. ^[1] The park is about 65 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, reached 3 km south of New Sarepta on Highway 21 and then 20 km east on Highway 623. ^{[2] [3]} It was established in 1958 with the help of land donations. ^[2] The park centres on Miquelon Lake, a shallow saline lake designated an Important Bird Area, and is part of the Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve and the Beaver Hills biosphere. ^{[3] [2]}

More than 200 bird species visit the park each year. ^[1] A colony of white pelicans has re-established on one of the lake's small islands in recent years. ^[2] The lake's high salt content has eliminated fish. ^[3] Alberta Parks describes the park as a rolling landscape teeming with birds and wildlife diversity, and garter snake migration in autumn has led to partial closures of backcountry trailhead access. ^[4]

Forest cover is predominantly trembling aspen, balsam poplar and white spruce. ^[1] The park lies in the Dry Mixedwood subregion of the Boreal Forest Natural Region. ^[1] Ponds and marshes are scattered through the aspen-covered hills. ^[1]

The park sits at the south end of the Cooking Lake Moraine, also known as the Beaver Hills, a rolling landscape of glacial hills, ponds and marshes. ^{[1] [2]} Miquelon Lake is a saline lake about 8.7 square kilometres in area at an elevation of 768 m, with a maximum depth of 6 m and an average depth of 2.7 m. ^[3] It was originally part of a larger water body that fragmented into three separate basins. ^[3]

Camrose, the city to which the lake's water was diverted, has a humid continental climate (Koppen Dfb). ^[1] Its 1991-2020 normals show a mean daily maximum of 23.1 degrees Celsius in July and a mean daily minimum of -17.8 degrees Celsius in January. ^[1] The park offers cross-country skiing, skijoring and snowshoeing in winter. ^[2]

In 1926 a 16-foot-deep canal was excavated to carry water out of the lake to the Lyseng reservoir in the Battle River watershed, to serve the city of Camrose. ^[1] The diversion sharply reduced the lake's water and severely damaged the lake and its watershed. ^[1] In 1944 Camrose tried to extract more water but found it to be of poor quality. ^[1] Water levels have dropped drastically since the 1920s. ^[2]

The area was designated a bird sanctuary in 1920. ^[1] The provincial park was established in 1958 with the help of local land donations from a non-profit in the city of Camrose. ^[1] The park consists of land set out by Order in Council (legal boundary O.C. 67/2006) and "Section 7" land; the Section 7 land has no facilities and is treated like a day use area, with no camping or fires. ^[2]

A 15 km network of multi-use trails includes the Beaver Hills, Chickadee, Deer, Ermine, Fox and Grouse loops, as well as the Grebe Pond, Holdsworth, Moose and Shoreline Path trails. ^[1] The lake is not suitable for swimming, but it can be paddled by canoe or kayak; motorized boats are not allowed. ^{[1] [2]} Free interpretive programs run in July and August, and the Hesje observatory hosts public viewing nights. ^[2] A golf course is located at or near the park. ^[2]

The park includes 270 campsites, 4 yurts and 7 group campsites. ^[1] In summer the park visitor centre offers interpretive displays and exhibits and a park store, and an outdoor theatre hosts interpretive programs. ^[1] Trails are used year-round for cross-country skiing, skijoring and snowshoeing in winter. ^[1] The park is 40 minutes southeast of Edmonton. ^[1]

The park is part of the Beaver Hills biosphere, a UNESCO-recognized area, and the lake is designated an Important Bird Area. ^[1] Its Dark Sky Preserve and Biosphere Reserve designations are listed by Alberta Parks. ^[2] Lake water levels have dropped drastically since the 1920s, after a canal was dug to divert water toward Camrose. ^{[3] [1]} Alberta Parks classifies it as a Provincial Park under the Provincial Parks Act, with a legal boundary set by Order in Council 67/2006. ^[2]