Landis Lake (11533)
Canada, North America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2008
National site name: Landis Lake
Central coordinates: Latitude: 52.1810, Longitude: -108.5007
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 640 to 650
Area of KBA (km2): 63.07439
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Landis Lake is situated in west central Saskatchewan, near the town of Landis. It is a saline lake that is subject to wide fluctuations in water levels through the course of a typical year. The lake is usually full from runoff in early spring, with the water levels dropping through the spring and summer. It is often completely dry by early summer. When the lake is not dry it has proven to be significant for congregating shorebirds. Cultivated lands surround the lake.
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 1989, a one-day total of 11,890 Stilt Sandpipers was recorded at Landis Lake during spring migration. This total may represent as much as 12% of the worlds estimated population for this species. It is not known whether this species regularly concentrates at this site in such large numbers. Other species that have occurred here in large numbers during spring migration include Sanderlings (1,671in early June 1995 just over 1% of the North American population), and Red-necked Phalaropes (13,654 were recorded on a one-day count on 27 May 1996 just under 1% of the worlds estimated population). During the fall migration, additional shorebird species have been recorded in relatively large numbers: Pectoral Sandpipers (597 in late July 1995 just over 1% of the North American estimated population), American Avocet (336 in late July 1995), and Lesser Yellowlegs (163 in late July 1995). Piping Plovers, a globally vulnerable and nationally endangered species, have nested at Landis Lake, although never in large numbers. During censuses completed in 1979 and 1996 a single pair was observed, and in 1990 a total of two pairs was observed.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 100 |