HISTORY
The Whitewater Lake catchment basin is located between the towns of Boissevain and Deloraine in the southwestern corner of Manitoba, north of Turtle Mountain Provincial Park. It is an alkaline lake that may contain no water for two or three years at a time during dry cycles; during normal years it covers 6,070 hectares, but can be as high as 10,320 hectares (and two metres deep) during years with increased run-off. Over the past 100 years there have been several decades, such as the 1930s and 1980s, in which the lake was dry most of the time. Several small creeks drain into Whitewater Lake, but there is no major natural outlet. The flat terrain surrounding the lake is used for agricultural production. A small rare herbaceous plant (Heliotropium curassavicum) is found here.
At the east end of the lake, Ducks Unlimited (DU) have constructed a number of dykes, creating basins or wetland cells that attempt to stabilize water levels for nesting and migrating waterfowl.
In 1993 a conceptual plan was developed between the Manitoba Department of Natural Resources, the Turtle Mountain Conservation District and Ducks Unlimited Canada to jointly develop a wildlife viewing facility adjacent to the Ducks Unlimited wetland cell project. The facility allows the general public improved access to the Whitewater Lake area to view and appreciate wildlife and the surroundings of this natural area.
Whitewater Lake has a tremendous diversity of flora and fauna and is a popular area for naturalists and hunters. The development of the wetland cells has guaranteed a site for wildlife observation and interpretation of the area.
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