Cold Lake (Alberta)

Cold Lake is a large lake in Northern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. The lake straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border, and has a water area of 373 km² (144 sq mi). It is also one of the deepest lakes in Alberta with a maximum depth of 99.1 m (325 ft). It has around 24 known species of fish in it and is a major ice fishing lake. It is also major stop for many migrating birds, and is home to one of the largest warbler populations in Alberta. A surface of 248 km² (96 sq mi) lies in the province of Alberta.

The city of Cold Lake is located on the shore. Excepting the western shore, the lake is surrounded by protected areas such as the Cold Lake Provincial Park in Alberta and the Meadow Lake Provincial Park in Saskatchewan. The Cold Lake 149 A and B indian reserve of the Cold Lake First Nations are established on the western and southern shores respectively. Cold Lake House was a trading post built by the Montreal traders in 1781 near the present Beaver Crossing, Alberta south of Cold Lake.

Cold Lake

Cold Lake may refer to the following:

Cold Lake, Alberta

Cold Lake is a city in northeastern Alberta, Canada, named after the lake near which it is situated.

History

Cold Lake was first recorded on a 1790 map, by the name of Coldwater Lake. Originally three communities, Cold Lake was formed by merging the Town of Grand Centre, the Town of Cold Lake, and Medley (Canadian Forces Base 4 Wing) on October 1, 1996. Grand Centre was renamed Cold Lake South, and the original Cold Lake is known as Cold Lake North. Because of its origins, the area is also known as the Tri-Town.

Geography

The city is situated in Alberta's "Lakeland" district, 300 km (190 mi) northeast of Edmonton, near the Alberta-Saskatchewan provincial border. The area surrounding the city is sparsely populated, and consists mostly of farmland. The Cold Lake Air Weapons Range, located to the north of the city, is the Canadian equivalent to the United States Air Force's Nellis Air Force Range.

Climate

Cold Lake's climate is humid continental (Köppen climate classification Dfb).