| Lake Diefenbaker | |
|---|---|
 NASA satellite image of Lake Diefenbaker | |
  Lake Diefenbaker Location in Saskatchewan  Lake Diefenbaker Lake Diefenbaker (Canada) | |
| Location | Saskatchewan |
| Coordinates | 51°01′53″N 106°50′09″W / 51.03139°N 106.83583°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Part of | Nelson River drainage basin |
| Primary inflows | South Saskatchewan River |
| Primary outflows |
|
| Catchment area | 135,500 km2 (52,300 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 225 km (140 mi) |
| Max. width | 6 km (3.7 mi) |
| Surface area | 430 km2 (170 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 21.6 m (71 ft) |
| Max. depth | 66 m (217 ft) |
| Water volume | 9.4 km3 (7,600,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Residence time | 2.5 years |
| Shore length1 | 800 km (500 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 556.8 m (1,827 ft) above sea level (full supply level) |
| Settlements | |
| References | [1] |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lake Diefenbaker[2] is a reservoir and bifurcation lake in southern part of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It was formed by the construction of Gardiner Dam and the Qu'Appelle River Dam across the South Saskatchewan and Qu'Appelle Rivers respectively. Construction began in 1959 and the lake was filled in 1967. The lake is 225 kilometres (140 mi) long with approximately 800 kilometres (500 mi) of shoreline. It has a maximum depth of 66 metres (217 ft), while the water levels regularly fluctuate 3–9 metres (9–27 feet) each year. The flow of the two rivers is now regulated with a considerable portion of the South Saskatchewan diverted into the Qu'Appelle. Prior to the dams' construction, high water levels in the South Saskatchewan would frequently cause dangerous ice conditions downstream in Saskatoon while the Qu'Appelle would frequently dry up in the summer months.
Lake Diefenbaker provides water for domestic irrigation, drinking, and industrial uses. An extensive aqueduct (canal) system was built from the Gardiner Dam called the South Saskatchewan River Project. From the east-side of Gardiner Dam, the aqueduct system heads in a generally north-easterly direction ending at Dellwood Reservoir north-east of Little Manitou Lake in the RM of Usborne No. 310. Reservoirs along the course of the canal include Broderick Reservoir, Brightwater Reservoir, Indi Lake, Blackstrap Lake, Bradwell Reservoir, and Zelma Reservoir.[3][4]
Lake Diefenbaker is the largest body of water in southern Saskatchewan, although Last Mountain Lake is the largest naturally occurring one. The lake was named after John G. Diefenbaker, a former Prime Minister of Canada.
- ^ "World Lake Database (Lake Diefenbaker)". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
- ^ "Lake Diefenbaker". Canadian Geographical Names Database. Government of Canada. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ "Dams and Reservoirs". Water Security Agency. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "Your Partner in Water" (PDF). SaskWater. Retrieved 7 November 2023.