Ewing and Erskine Lakes (11015)
Canada, North America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2008
National site name: Ewing and Erskine Lakes
Central coordinates: Latitude: 52.2217, Longitude: -112.9255
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 800 to 855
Area of KBA (km2): 171.6894
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Ewing and Erskine lakes IBA site is located in the east-central portion of Alberta. The nearest town is Stettler, which is approximately 10 km east of Erskine Lake and 20 km southwest of Ewing Lake. The site also includes some smaller lakes including Grose and Postill lakes, and Shuckburgh Slough. The site is a series of discontinuous wetlands and adjacent parkland and grassland within a largely cultivated landscape. Most of these wetlands have extensive emergent vegetation, mostly bulrushes. Ewing Lake is a terminal wetland, is somewhat alkaline, and has a tendency to dry up even when water levels are high.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: During fall migration, Ewing and Erskine lakes are an important site for staging ducks. Both Erskine and Ewing lakes have had over 20,000 ducks each during the 1980s. Ducks Unlimited therefore consider both lakes to be critical moulting and staging wetlands for ducks. Postill Lake is a good breeding area for diving ducks, as it is fairly fresh with bulrush and cattail vegetation. Over 30 pairs of Canada Geese nest on Erskine Lake annually. The area is generally productive for a variety of marsh birds and is also important shorebird staging habitat. Ewing Lake was surveyed for Piping Plover in 1986 but no birds were found.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | nature conservation and research | rangeland/pastureland
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 25 | |
| Forest | 25 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 25 | |
| Grassland | 25 |