East Lake Diefenbaker (11517)
Canada, North America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2008
National site name: East Lake Diefenbaker
Central coordinates: Latitude: 51.1110, Longitude: -106.6905
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 560 to 594
Area of KBA (km2): 361.68572
Protected area coverage (%): 26.92
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Lake Diefenbaker is situated in southcentral Saskatchewan. The lake is actually a flooded portion of the South Saskatchewan River, created by the construction of the Gardiner Dam in the late 1950s. It is a very large artificial lake that extends over 100 km in length, and varies from one to three km in width. The eastern portion of the lake begins just west of the town of Riverhurst, and extends to the Elbow, including Gordon McKenzie Arm and Thomson Arm. Although less rugged than the western portion of the lake, the eroded banks and associated slopes are steep and rough. Shores along the eastern portion of the lake support one of the largest populations of Piping Plovers in Saskatchewan. While large portions of the surrounding plateaus have been cultivated, there are still vast expanses of native prairie, much of which is used for grazing. Steep wooded coulees along the numerous creeks that flow into the lake provide ample habitat for woodland bird species.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: In 1991, Lake Diefenbaker supported the largest population of nesting Piping Plovers in North America. (Piping Plovers are designated as globally vulnerable and nationally endangered.) As many as 227 Piping Plovers have been recorded during a single year, and over an 11-year period (1984 1995) a total of five surveys yielded an average of 92 breeding pairs. In 1996, only 28 pairs (75 birds in total) were recorded (the lower numbers are likely related to high water levels). On average, east Lake Diefenbaker supports as much as 3.5% of the worlds Piping Plover population, and as much as 13.5% of the Canadian prairie population. The eastern portion of Lake Diefenbaker is also important for staging ducks, with between 5,000 and 20,000 birds being recorded in 1990. The lake also attracts large numbers of staging shorebirds, and during the 1991 spring migration 300 Western Grebes were recorded.
Delineation rationale: 2011-06-06 (BL Secretariat): site area updated from 22200 ha to 36000 ha, following GIS analysis of site polygon by Bird Studies Canada (J. Moore & S. Marquez in litt. 2009).
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research | rangeland/pastureland | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 96 |