Lake Wahtopanah
Encyclopedia
Lake Wahtopanah, also known as Rivers Reservoir, is a lake
on the Little Saskatchewan River
near the town of Rivers, Manitoba
. Its dam was built by the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration
in 1960 to supplement water supplies for irrigation
. It also provides the water supply for the town of Rivers, stock watering and recreation. The reservoir
is about 2000 feet (609.6 m) wide and six miles (10 km) long. The deepest point is about 50 feet (15.2 m). Riparian flows are regulated by a four foot square gated conduit. High flows pass over a 110 feet (33.5 m) wide concrete chute spillway. The reservoir stores about 24500 acre.ft and covers an area of about 1580 acres (6.4 km²). The drainage area is about 1260 square miles (3,263.4 km²) and extends well into Riding Mountain National Park
. The province maintains a park and campground on the west shore.
The name is an alternate form of the Native word watopapinah meaning "canoe people" .
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
on the Little Saskatchewan River
Little Saskatchewan River
The Little Saskatchewan River is a river in western Manitoba. It originates in Riding Mountain National Park at Lake Audy and flows about south through the communities of Minnedosa and Rapid City. Its approximate length is 185 km. It joins the Assiniboine River about west of Brandon. The...
near the town of Rivers, Manitoba
Rivers, Manitoba
Rivers is a town in the Canadian province of Manitoba located 40 kilometres northwest of Brandon. Rivers had a population of 1,193 people in the 2006 census. Rivers was named in 1908 after Sir Charles Rivers Wilson, Chairman of the Board of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway...
. Its dam was built by the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration
Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration
The Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration is a branch under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, a department of the Federal Government of Canada....
in 1960 to supplement water supplies for irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
. It also provides the water supply for the town of Rivers, stock watering and recreation. The reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
is about 2000 feet (609.6 m) wide and six miles (10 km) long. The deepest point is about 50 feet (15.2 m). Riparian flows are regulated by a four foot square gated conduit. High flows pass over a 110 feet (33.5 m) wide concrete chute spillway. The reservoir stores about 24500 acre.ft and covers an area of about 1580 acres (6.4 km²). The drainage area is about 1260 square miles (3,263.4 km²) and extends well into Riding Mountain National Park
Riding Mountain National Park
Riding Mountain National Park is a national park in Manitoba, Canada. The park sits atop the Manitoba Escarpment. Consisting of a protected area , the forested parkland stands in sharp contrast to the surrounding prairie farmland. The park is home to wolves, moose, elk, black bears, hundreds of...
. The province maintains a park and campground on the west shore.
The name is an alternate form of the Native word watopapinah meaning "canoe people" .