Greenwater Lake Provincial Park (SK071)
Porcupine Plain, Saskatchewan
Site Description
Greenwater Lake Provincial Park is located 5 km southwest of the town of Porcupine Plain, Saskatchewan. The park was established on February 19, 1932 and was expanded to its present size in 1964. It consists of deciduous and mixed-wood forested lands with many small lakes and two large ones, Greenwater and Marean. These lakes are the main attraction for tourists visiting the park. Since most of the park is vegetated in aspen and balsam poplar, bird species most often encountered are those that prefer upland hardwood forest.
Birds
The lakes within this park contain one of the two last known areas for breeding Trumpeter Swans in Saskatchewan. As many as 6 pairs of Trumpeter Swan, representing almost 1% of the estimated Interior population, have been recorded within Greenwater Provincial Park. The latest estimates indicate that the Interior Trumpeter Swan population currently numbers about 1,460 individuals. Two birds (probably a more typical number at this location) represent 1% of the Canadian portion of this Trumpeter Swan population. Formally found within the boundaries of the park was a Great Blue Heron colony. This colony peaked in 1970 with 70 nests, but then was reduced to two nests by 1980; no nests were found during surveys in 1999. Other birds occasionally nesting in the park include Bald Eagle, Osprey and Scarlet Tanager (only the second breeding record for the province).
Conservation Issues
Excessive boating activity and resort development on Marean and Greenwater Lakes limits the breeding success of species sensitive to disturbance such as the Common Loon, Bald Eagle and the Great Blue Heron. Although the former large Great Blue Heron colony has now disappeared, the presence of groups of herons and a fledgling heron along Greenwater Creek, northeast of Greenwater Lake, suggests that a new colony is being established in this area.
IBA Criteria Habitats Land Uses Potential or Ongoing Threats Conservation Status
