North Sask. lake comes under ecological protection

A lake in the southern part of North America's largest freshwater river delta has new environmental protections.

Saskatchewan has designated Lobstick Lake as an ecological reserve that stretches over 98,580 hectares.

"Establishing the Lobstick Lake representative area will promote the conservation of valuable wildlife habitat in the area," Environment Minister Warren Kaeding said. "This designation will ensure the protection and further enjoyment of this land for many years to come."

The lake is part of the Saskatchewan River Delta, which stretches over 10,000 square kilometres of wetland straddling the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border.



The lake is about 24 kilometres south of Cumberland House.

The ecological protection designation follows Cumberland House Cree Nation Chief Rene Chaboyer's June declaration of economic and ecological sovereignty over the Delta in the wake of its decades-long environmental decline.

Chaboyer said he was unable to comment on the Lobstick Lake protections.

The lake site includes wetlands, lakes and river channels that are both active and abandoned, bordered by peat-forming fens and bogs, a provincial news release said.

Its land uses include fishing, hunting, trapping and tourism. It's also used for industrial development, most notably peat extraction and forestry, the release added.

Gord Vaadeland, executive director of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) Saskatchewan, said he welcomes the move as a step toward broader protections for the Saskatchewan River Delta.

Lobstick Lake was previously designated a protected zone, which cleared the way for its new designation, Vaadeland said.

"There's going to be a lot more than just Lobstick," he added. "But it's a really good carrot and a foundation for continued discussions between the province and the First Nations in that area."

CPAWS Saskatchewan has been involved in coordinating some of those discussions between the First Nation and the province, Vaadeland said.

Potential models for the land include co-management or an Indigenous protected and conserved area.

The Saskatchewan River Delta, including Lobstick Lake, is a massive carbon sink that's part of a major route for migratory birds. It's also home to a diverse array of plant and wildlife, Vaadeland said.

"The Delta itself is the most ecologically significant area of the province, as far as checking all the boxes."

Nick Pearce, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The StarPhoenix