Otauwau

Otauwau Natural Area is a provincial natural area in northern Alberta, about 30 km southeast of the town of Slave Lake ^[1]. It covers 255.83 hectares and was established by Order-in-Council 786/87 ^[2]. The site lies in the Lesser Slave River watershed ^[3], within the Central Mixedwood Subregion of Alberta's Boreal Forest Natural Region (https://sapaastewards.com/protected-areas/list-of-protected-areas/otauwau-na/; https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/dd01aa27-2c64-46ca-bc93-ca7ab5a145a4/resource/98f6a93e-c629-46fc-a025-114d79a0250d/download/2006-nrsrcomplete-may.pdf), and protects lowland black spruce fens and upland mature white spruce forest ^[3].

The natural area provides excellent habitat for wildlife ^[1]. Alberta Parks provides Bear Smart and Living With Cougars guidance for visitors to the site ^[2].

The natural area lies in the Central Mixedwood Subregion of the Boreal Forest Natural Region ^[1]. Its terrain is undulating to gently undulating with depressional areas, with black spruce fens on the low ground and mature white spruce forest on the uplands ^[2].

The name Otauwau is likely Cree in origin, but its original meaning has been lost ^[1].

Otauwau was established as a natural area by Order-in-Council 786/87 ^[1], and the World Database on Protected Areas records 1987 as its designation year ^[2]. It is one of three small natural areas, with Hondo and Saulteaux, that lie about 5 to 10 km apart ^[3]. The University of Alberta uses the three sites for research and study because they represent a diversity of forest communities within easy reach of Highway 2 ^[3].

Alberta Parks lists hunting and birding as the permitted activities in the natural area ^[1]. Hunting follows the Alberta hunting regulations, and licences are sold separately ^[2].

The natural area lies about 30 km southeast of Slave Lake ^[1] and about 80 km northwest of Athabasca, within easy reach of Highway 2 ^[2]. Alberta Parks lists no visitor facilities for the site and provides an information line at 780-849-7100 ^[3].

The World Database on Protected Areas lists Otauwau as an IUCN Category IV natural area managed by the Lands Operations Division of Alberta Forestry and Parks ^[1]. Alberta Parks records its extent as 255.83 hectares ^[2].