Codette Lake,[1] which was named after Métis fur trader Baptiste Codette, is a reservoir in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.[2] The lake was impounded in 1986 with the construction of the Francois-Finlay Dam across the Saskatchewan River about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) upstream from the town of Nipawin.[3] The dam is the site of the Nipawin Hydroelectric Station.[4][5] Downstream from Codette Lake is Tobin Lake, which is another man-made lake along the course of the Saskatchewan River. It was created in 1963 with the construction of the E.B. Campbell Dam.[6]
| Codette Lake | |
|---|---|
  Codette Lake Location in Saskatchewan  Codette Lake Codette Lake (Canada) | |
| Location | Saskatchewan |
| Coordinates | 53°15′14″N 104°27′54″W / 53.2538°N 104.4649°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Part of | Saskatchewan River drainage basin |
| Primary inflows | Saskatchewan River |
| Primary outflows | Saskatchewan River |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 35 km (22 mi) |
| Surface area | 4,615.5 ha (11,405 acres) |
| Max. depth | 38.1 m (125 ft) |
| Shore length1 | 224.2 km (139.3 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 340 m (1,120 ft) |
| Islands |
|
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
The creation of Codette Lake submerged Bushfield Flats, which was an important site for First Nations and an historic trading post. The lake's northern shoreline is in the RM of Torch River No. 488 while the southern shore is in the RM of Nipawin No. 487.[7]
Bushfield Flats
editThe Bushfield Flats, which were submerged under Codette Lake when the dam was built, was an important site for local Indians and the site of the trading post built by James Finaly and Francois LeBlanc in 1768. The Francois-Finlay Dam was named after the pair. The flats were directly upstream from the current site of the dam on a peninsula that jutted out into the Saskatchewan River. These flats were the original "meeting place" for the town of Nipawin's namesake. The flats were named after William Bushfield, a local farmer. Prior to the flooding of the lake in 1986, there were two archaeological digs there. The West Site had a pre-historic Cree encampment while the East Site showed evidence "that the area had been an important Indian stopover for centuries".[8][9][10] Bushfield's Landing — a marina located on the lake's southern shore — is near the original site.
Recreation
editWapiti Valley Regional Park straddles the lake near the western end. The park has downhill and cross-country skiing in the winter and camping in the summer. The park is accessed from Highways 6 and 789.[11]
About 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of Nipawin along Highway 35 is Francois Finlay Hydroelectric Dam Vista Viewpoint. The viewpoint is on a plateau and has views of Codette Lake, the dam and power station, and the gorge.[12]
On the southern shore of the lake, about 11.5 kilometres (7.1 mi) west of Codette, is Smit's Campground and Blue Winds Fish n' Tours. Access is from Highway 789.[13][14][15]
Fish species
editFish commonly found in Codette Lake include walleye, northern pike, burbot, yellow perch, white sucker, goldeye, Lake sturgeon, sauger, and white sturgeon.[16][17]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Codette Lake". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Maps showing Codette Lake, Saskatchewan". Yellow Maps. Yellow Maps. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Codette Reservoir Fishing Map". GPS Nautical Charts. Bist LLC. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Nipawin Hydroelectric Station". Tourism Nipawin. Town of Nipawin. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Nipawin Hydroelectric Station". SaskPower. SaskPower. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ McLennan, David. "Nipawin". The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. University of Regina. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Where is Codette Lake in Canada?". Geotarget. Geotarget. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Nipawin, Town of". Saskatchewan History Album. SaskHistory. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "History of Nipawin and Area". Nipawin. Town of Nipawin. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Furniss, O. C. "The Canadian Historical Review". Project MUSE. Project MUSE. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Wapiti Valley Regional Park - Wapiti Valley Ski & Board Resort". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Francois Finlay Hydroelectric Dam Vista Viewpoint". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Smits Beach". Smits Beach. Smits Beach. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Blue Winds Fish n' Tours". Tourism Saskatchewan. Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Blue Winds Fish N' Tours". Codette Lake. Blue Winds Fish N' Tours. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Codette lake". Angler's Atlas. Angler's Atlas. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ "Codette Lake". Fishbrain. Fishbrain. Retrieved 2 August 2023.