| Hay-Zama Lakes | |
|---|---|
  Location ofHay-Zama Lakes in Canada | |
| Location | Mackenzie County,Alberta, Canada |
| Nearest city | High Level, Alberta |
| Coordinates | 58°30′0″N119°0′0″W / 58.50000°N 119.00000°W /58.50000; -119.00000 |
| Area | 586 km2 (226 sq mi) |
| Designated | 24 May 1982 |
| Reference no. | 242[1] |
Hay-Zama Lakes is a 586-square-kilometre (226 sq mi) inlandwetland and wildland park[2] in northwesternAlberta,Canada. It was designated aRamsar wetland of international importance on May 24, 1982,[3] and is recognized as anImportant Bird Area.[4] It "constitutes one of the most extensivesedge wetlands in western North America".[5]
The site has been under consideration for classification as aWorld Heritage Site.[6] It is approximately 100 km (62 mi) west-northwest of the town ofHigh Level, 140 kilometres (87 mi) from the border with theNorthwest Territories.
It is "twinned" with theDalai Lake National Nature Reserve inInner Mongolia, China.[5]
An expansivelowland wetland complex, the system consists ofeutrophic freshwater lakes, and thefloodplains and interiorriver deltas associated with thePeace River. It is at an elevation of 320 metres (1,050 ft) above sea level.
Water levels are determined by seasonal and annual fluctuations, which may be quite significant. Inflow from theHay River greatly influences both the size of the lakes and their depth.[5] The largest lake in the system isZama Lake.
The site has been subject to continuousoil andnatural gas extraction and exploration since the 1960s, and is surrounded by degraded landscape as a result.[5] In an agreement between theDene Tha' First Nation and oil production and exploration companies operating in the wetland complex, no new wells will be built from 2007 onward, and complete cessation of such activities will occur no later than 2017.[7]
The complex is site to large populations of migratory birds during spring and fall migrations. Over 250,000 ducks and 177,000 geese have been observed during a single migration.[3][4] It lies on the path of three waterfowlflyways, thePacific,Central andMississippi,[4] making it an important moulting and staging area for numerous waterfowl species, the primary factor leading to its Ramsar designation.
It is the only site in Alberta targeted for the re-introduction ofWood Bison,[5] which thrive on a winterforage ofsedges andgrasses indigenous to the area. A group of 24 bison were first introduced to Hay-Zama Lakes Wildland Park in 1984, moved fromElk Island National Park, and its population has steadily grown to 700 members.[8] The bison, however, have been following "roads opened up for them by oil and gas activity", straying toward the town of High Level, attracted by roadside grasses. Concern about contact between this group and bison fromWood Buffalo National Park, which carrybrucellosis ortuberculosis, has led to the granting of permits to Dene Tha' hunters to cull straying animals to prevent the spread of disease into the Hay-Zama herd.[8]
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