Key Biodiversity Areas

Porter Lake (11530)
Canada, North America

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2008
National site name: Porter Lake
Central coordinates: Latitude: 52.2310, Longitude: -106.2505
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 510 to 510
Area of KBA (km2): 58.39165
Protected area coverage (%): 1.09
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Porter Lake is located 20 km northeast of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. With the exception of the southern end, where native prairie still grows, cropland surrounds this shallow and ephemeral lake. There are several adjoining intermittent creeks that connect Porter Lake with surrounding temporary wetlands. Similar to other shallow saline lakes in the province, this site is highly susceptible to drought, as it is largely dependent on spring run-off and seasonal rains. Shorebird habitat, such as mudflats, results from the receding shoreline during periods of lower water levels.
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: During fall migration, Porter Lake often supports significant numbers of staging Hudsonian Godwits. In surveys conducted in 1997 a peak number of 997 godwits was recorded; the peak occurred after a build up of numbers during July and August. In the 1970s, greater than 800 godwits were recorded on three occasions: 847 August 1971; 1,150 August 1973; and 1,978 August 1979. All of these numbers represent about 2% of the global population of the species. It should be noted that the number of shorebirds, such as the godwits, using the site varies depending on the water conditions. During drought years, very few shorebirds are recorded.

Habitats

Land use: agriculture
IUCN HabitatCoverage %Habitat detail
Wetlands(Inland)33
Artificial - Terrestrial33
Grassland33