Climate
Landscape
Soil
Vegetation
Wildlife
Human Use

Climate: Total annual precipitation (mm) 528 Annual snowfall (cm) 177 Water deficit (mm) 124 Mean July temperature (C) +16.0 Mean January temperature (C) -24.0 The climate is cold, subhumid to humid. Landscape: The Wollaston Lake - Lac la Ronge area consists of massive rocks that form broad sloping uplands and lowlands. Any depression in the bedrock has developed into a lake or wetland. The upland slopes gently and drains eastward via the Churchill River which links various sized lakes and rivers. GPS: 54d 43.77m N, 101d 55.13m W, 977 feet 15 July 96, 5:25 pm, Fuji Velvia 50, F9.5 1/30s Douglas Lake is 2 kms south and 3 kms east of Creighton. GPS: 56d 54.01m N, 108d 58.64m W, 1658 feet 06 July 96, 11:25 am, Fuji Velvia 50, F8 1/60s Clearwater River Provincial Park is Saskatchewan's first wilderness park. GPS: 55d 36.18m N, 104d 46.24m W, 1167 feet 14 August 96, 12:45 pm, Fuji Velvia 50, F8 1/60-180s A fishing camp at Missinipe. GPS: 50d 47.43m N, 103d 59.14m W, 2733 feet 21 July 96, 6:45 pm, Fuji Velvia 50, F8 1/100s The Island Falls Dam on the Churchill River. GPS: 55d 28.16m N, 104d 51.40m W, 1453 feet 14 August 96, 1:30 pm, Fuji Velvia 50, F11 1/30s Mullock Lake is 23 kms south of Otter Rapids. GPS: 55d 26.11m N, 102d 26.68m W, 915 feet 15 July 96, 9:30 am, Fuji Velvia 50, F11 1/125s Slim's Cabins Fishing Camp just south of Sandy Bay, drive, fly, or boat in. GPS: 55d 25.06m N, 104d 33.59m W, 1233 feet 13 August 96, 6:30 pm, Fuji Velvia 50, F11 1/60s The historic site of Stanley Mission. Soil: This is a land of Precambrian Shield outcrops and coarse soils. Bogs and fens occasionally have permafrost which is more widespread in the northern part of this ecoregion. Vegetation: Coniferous forests of medium to tall black spruce and jack pine dominate this region. Black spruce is dominant on a wide range of sites, along with Labrador tea, peat moss, bog rosemary, leather leaf and bog cranberry. Jack pine occurs with an understory of lichen and blueberry in drier areas, feather moss and Labrador tea in moist locations. The eastern portion of this ecoregion is dominated by mixed stands of white spruce and aspen. Poorly drained lowland areas are dominated by low black spruce and larch with shrubs and feather mosses. Wildlife: The main inhabitants of the region are black bear, moose, woodland caribou, waterfowl, colony nesting birds, bald eagles and spruce grouse. There is also a great abundance and variety of all fur bearers since the forest is very productive. Beaver, red fox, fisher, lynx, wolf, coyote, red squirrel, muskrat, river otter, short-tailed weasel, mink and marten all occur in this ecoregion. Human Use: The most common uses of the land and resources include sport and commercial fishing hunting, mining, trapping, agriculture and rural residences. The southern section of this ecoregion is used for significant pulp wood and local saw log forestry. Power is generated from the Churchill River at Sandy Bay where a dam was built in 1929 (shown left). The Churchill flow is controlled by the Whitesand dam built in 1942 at the outlet of Reindeer Lake.