TURTLE LAKE

Turtle Lake is approximately 21 km long, 5 km wide, and located in the mid-western region of Saskatchewan³. This lake has become a popular destination for recreational activities. This lake has approximately 14.3 m in maximum depth and 5.6 m in mean depth with a lake outlet located at the south end of the lake¹. Since this lake does not have a control structure in place, lake levels experienced in this region fluctuate naturally and are maintained via surface inflow and precipitation ¹. The more popular a lake is, the more likely that lake will experience structural changes in land use. Approximately 23% of Turtle Lake’s shorelines house residential and commercial developments¹ that cut natural vegetation riparian zones and will ultimately overall water quality.

Turtle is an alkaline lake that had water samples with a pH range from 8.80 to 9.38, which exceeds the optimal pH range for surface waters can have which ranges from 6.50 and 8.50¹. Despite this, Turtle Lake maintained good quality water that met the Saskatchewan Surface Water Quality Objectives, making this location an ideal spot for recreational-based water activities. This lake did not experience summer stratification and temperature and dissolved oxygen conditions were thoroughly mixed and maintained throughout the water column¹. Bacterial testing on the water quality of Turtle Lake was below concentrations of laboratory detection limits, making the water safe for enjoyment¹.

Turtle Lake during drought conditions can possibly dry up, creating problems for producers allocating water supplies². Unfortunately, Turtle Lake is one of the lakes that experiences periodic dry drought conditions². To mitigate this, flow into lakes used for recreation is reduced during droughts. The effect of drought is often enhanced by above-average evaporation rates from the lakes and reduced direct rainfall on the lake surface².