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Before you lies the beautiful Wascana Lake. Wascana Creek, which this lake once was, is such a lazy little stream; many do not appreciate its impact. Yet it creates marshes we explore, irrigates the grass we walk on here and fills the lake before you. The creek also carries a large amount of water into the Qu’Appelle River, linking this little stream with the water cycle of the province.
Wascana Creek slowly meanders through the prairie. Originating by Vibank, it drains 2,200 square kilometres of land and sends 15 billion litres of water to the Qu’Appelle River by Lumsden on a yearly basis. It slowly winds its way across the local prairie and, at a casual glance, appears to be hardly moving at all. Except for spring run off and after summer rains, it generally doesn’t. In this area, the creek only declines on average, 25 cm for each kilometre it travels, yet it is a critical part of the natural water system of Regina and area.
Despite the significant amount of water it carries, the channel for most part is not well defined. With modest creek walls and no valley, the slow speed of the water allows wide meanders and stable marshes to form within the channel, including the marsh east of here. In one area, the creek meanders for 11 km with an actual distance of 7 km travelled. These conditions make the creek prone to flooding and sediment accumulation on the bottom.
First noted in 1857 by Capt John Palliser as Many-bone Creek, Oskana-ka-asateki, (Cree for “place where the bones are piled together”), was one of the few creeks in the area with year round water. It was an important hunting and food processing location for First Nations peoples. As settlers arrived, they recognized the importance of this area and started to refer to it as Wascana Creek, derived from the Cree Name
In 1883, the creek was dammed to create a 200-acre reservoir to provide water for the local settlement that had sprung up in the area. In 1890, the CPR piped water for its steam engines and in 1914; a power plant was built on the northeast shore and lake water used to cool the turbines. Water was sold to households and in 1906; the Capital Ice Company sold over 10,000 tons of ice until 1950. It was also used recreationally; in 1884 boat races were first held in celebration of the Queen’s birthday and in 1907, the Regina Boat Club was born. It became a recreational centre, used for boating, sailing, canoeing, picnics and swimming during the summer months and snow shoeing, skiing and tobogganing in the winter.
The Great Depression saw no crops, no money, no jobs, and drought and the lake began to dry up just like the economy. In 1930, the minister of Public Works for the city of Regina, proposed a project that would take advantage of a cost share initiative between the federal and provincial government and the city of Regina. The Albert Street Memorial Bridge was widened, employing 700 men, and costing $250,000. The second part of the project saw 2107 men excavate 91,200 cubic metres of dirt out of Wascana Lake. For $18 a week, men used shovels, picks, wheelbarrows and horse drawn wagons to increase the lake depth from 5 feet to 7 feet in just 3 months, creating two islands. Total project cost - $103,000.
By the late 1990’s the accumulation of sediment, 6mm per year, saw 25% of the water volume of the lake lost. The thick growth of aquatic plants made it less and less desirable for recreational use. Wascana Lake was slowly becoming an urban marsh.
The “Big Dig” project was the brainchild of the Wascana Centre Authority to renew Wascana Lake. With the announcement of Regina hosting the 2005 Canada Summer Games, the Wascana Revitalization Project became a reality. In the fall of 2003, an 18 million dollar deal was signed between the Government of Canada, the Province and the City of Regina to improve and preserve Wascana Lake. Using Saskatchewan based firms, contractors and sub-contractors, construction started in Dec 03. Large earthmovers, excavators and heavy trucks hauled 1.34 mil cubic metres of earth out of the lakebed between Broad and Albert Streets. Employing over 160 people, the task was completed by Mar 04. Deepening the lake to an average of 5.5 metres, the dirt removed was used to create hills to the east. A 7.5 metre deep pond was created between Spruce and Pine Island (also created with the project) to enable northern pike and perch to winter over in the lake. The project also included new retaining walls, walking bridges, landscaping features and an improved promenade around the lake. Wascana Lake was renewed and improved.
To register this find, you need to answer the following questions. The answers can be found on the many information plaques along the water’s edge at the posted coordinates. Do not post your answers to the log, please email to me directly:
1. What was the name of the Minister of Public Works who came up with the first project to deepen the lake in 1930?
2. How many hectares of land are included in Wascana Centre Authority. How many hectares are covered by water?
3. What man-made geological landform do you see at a bearing of 92°, distance 640 metres?
4. A photo from along the lake that includes one of its prominent features or activity would be great. It does not have to be taken from this waypoint. There is lots to see in the area so feel free to be creative.
Additional Hints
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