Waterton Lakes National Park
Waterton Lakes National Park | |
---|---|
biosphere reserve) 1995 (world heritage site) | |
Visitors | 402,542 (in 2012/13[1]) |
Governing body | I.D. Council, Parks Canada |
Part of | Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park |
Criteria | Natural: vii, ix |
Reference | 354 |
Inscription | 1995 (19th Session) |
Waterton Lakes National Park is a national park located in the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada. It borders Glacier National Park in Montana, United States. Waterton was the fourth Canadian national park, formed in 1895 and named after Waterton Lake, in turn after the Victorian naturalist and conservationist Charles Waterton. Its range is between the Rocky Mountains and prairies. This park contains 505 km2 (195 sq mi) of rugged mountains and wilderness.
Operated by
The park was the subject of a short film in 2011's
History
While oil had been found in the area since the late 1880s, the government began approving reservation and sales of land for prospecting in 1898. In 1901,
In 1911 Minister of the Interior Frank Oliver introduced the Dominion Forest Reserves and Parks Act which designated all existing mountain parks, Elk Island and Buffalo Parks into forest reserves, with the authority to designate all or part of the reserve a "Dominion Park" (later National Park). On June 8, 1911, Order-in-Council P.C. 1338 designated 35 km2 (14 sq mi) of the area of Waterton Lakes Forest Reserve as Dominion Park, much smaller than expected by resident staff, and only a small portion of the original 1895 reserve of 140 km2 (54 sq mi).[8] In 1914, Frank Oliver's successor as Minister of the Interior, William James Roche, significantly expanded the area of Waterton Lakes Park to 1,096 km2 (423 sq mi).[9][7][10]
In 1920 William Thomson, the designer and head professional of the original
Prince of Wales Hotel
The Prince of Wales Hotel, one of
Later history
In 1932, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was formed from Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier. It was dedicated to world peace by Sir Charles Arthur Mander on behalf of Rotary International on 18 June 1932, whose members from the Alberta and Montana chapters lobbied for the formation of the park. The Peace Park was the first of its nature in the world, and was intended to promote goodwill between nations and underscore the international nature of protection of wilderness.[14]
In terms of local governance, those lands within Waterton Lakes National Park were split between the
The Waterton-Glacier International was inscribed a
In September 2017, a large forest fire forced the evacuation of the townsite and park. The fire burned through 200 km2 of the park, destroying the visitor centre, stables and other buildings. Some 80% of hiking trails were affected and several remained closed for the 2018 season.[18]
Geology
The oldest rocks in the park are marine
Unlike the Canadian Rockies, whose sedimentary strata are more or less inclined, the Waterton sediments are characterized by a single overlap. The
Although there are no glaciers left in Waterton, aside from a few expanses of eternal snow, the landscape has been greatly shaped by the
Ecology
Waterton Lakes National Park spans four
Flora
There are over 1000 species of vascular plants found in the park. Over 20 species are endemic to the park such as Lewis' mock-orange and white-veined wintergreen. Over 50 species of plants that are found the park are rare in Canada such as Bolander's quillwort, Lyall's scorpionweed, and Brewer's monkeyflower.[22] Waterton Lakes National Park is also home to small ferns called moonworts and the Waterton moonwort is endemic to the park.[23]
Fauna
Animals that inhabit this national park include
Climate
Waterton Lakes National Park Cameron Falls weather station has a humid continental climate (Koppen: Dfb), bordering relatively closely on a subarctic climate (Dfc). Summertime is mild with cool nights, while winter is chilly with highs around freezing. Snowfall is heavy, averaging 481.5 cm (189.6 inches).[25]
Climate data for Waterton Lakes National Park Cameron Falls Weather Station, Alberta, Canada, 1971–2000 normals, extremes 1975–1995 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 15.0 (59.0) |
16.5 (61.7) |
18.0 (64.4) |
27.0 (80.6) |
31.0 (87.8) |
31.0 (87.8) |
36.0 (96.8) |
35.0 (95.0) |
32.5 (90.5) |
29.0 (84.2) |
18.5 (65.3) |
15.0 (59.0) |
36.0 (96.8) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −0.6 (30.9) |
0.9 (33.6) |
5.2 (41.4) |
9.5 (49.1) |
14.6 (58.3) |
19.0 (66.2) |
22.7 (72.9) |
22.0 (71.6) |
17.2 (63.0) |
11.1 (52.0) |
2.7 (36.9) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
10.3 (50.5) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −5.2 (22.6) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
0.2 (32.4) |
4.2 (39.6) |
8.9 (48.0) |
12.8 (55.0) |
16.0 (60.8) |
15.4 (59.7) |
11.0 (51.8) |
6.2 (43.2) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
5.0 (41.0) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −9.7 (14.5) |
−8.9 (16.0) |
−4.9 (23.2) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
3.1 (37.6) |
6.5 (43.7) |
9.3 (48.7) |
8.8 (47.8) |
4.9 (40.8) |
1.2 (34.2) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
Record low °C (°F) | −38.0 (−36.4) |
−37.0 (−34.6) |
−30.6 (−23.1) |
−22.8 (−9.0) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
0.5 (32.9) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−8.0 (17.6) |
−23.0 (−9.4) |
−33.0 (−27.4) |
−37.0 (−34.6) |
−38.0 (−36.4) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 82.2 (3.24) |
74.6 (2.94) |
89.7 (3.53) |
89.9 (3.54) |
121.3 (4.78) |
109.8 (4.32) |
80.0 (3.15) |
75.2 (2.96) |
73.2 (2.88) |
101.5 (4.00) |
115.7 (4.56) |
90.2 (3.55) |
1,103.2 (43.43) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 17.7 (0.70) |
14.6 (0.57) |
16.4 (0.65) |
39.2 (1.54) |
107.1 (4.22) |
109.8 (4.32) |
80.0 (3.15) |
72.6 (2.86) |
67.1 (2.64) |
60.3 (2.37) |
45.2 (1.78) |
18.5 (0.73) |
648.4 (25.53) |
Average snowfall cm (inches) | 67.1 (26.4) |
65.9 (25.9) |
80.5 (31.7) |
49.7 (19.6) |
13.3 (5.2) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
2.5 (1.0) |
5.6 (2.2) |
43.4 (17.1) |
74.8 (29.4) |
78.8 (31.0) |
481.5 (189.6) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 12.9 | 11.7 | 13.1 | 11.9 | 15.6 | 15.5 | 12.0 | 13.4 | 11.9 | 12.1 | 14.3 | 13.0 | 157.3 |
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 6.4 | 14.9 | 15.5 | 12.0 | 13.2 | 11.4 | 8.8 | 5.7 | 2.6 | 97.8 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 10.7 | 9.8 | 10.5 | 6.5 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.14 | 1.0 | 4.0 | 10.1 | 10.9 | 65.2 |
Source: Environment Canada[25]
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Biosphere Reserve
In 1979, Waterton and bordering Glacier National park in the US were designated as World
World Heritage Site
The park is part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, designated as World Heritage Site in 1995 for their distinctive climate, physiographic setting, mountain-prairie interface, and tri-ocean hydrographical divide. They are areas of significant scenic values with abundant and diverse flora and fauna.[27]
Photo gallery
-
View from top of Summit Trail
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Panorama taken from Prince of Wales hotel looking south
-
49th parallel at Waterton Lake
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Cameron Falls
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Red Rock Canyon
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Waterton Parktownsite campground
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South Beach of Waterton Park townsite
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Blakiston Falls (upper)
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Cinnamon-coloured Black Bear eating dandelions, in Akamina Parkway.
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View of the mountains surrounding the Waterton Lake.
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Castilleja (Indian paintbrush) on the Bear's Hump
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View from Bears Hump
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View of Vimy Peak
See also
- Kootenay National Park
- List of National Parks of Canada
- List of mountains of Alberta
- List of protected areas of Alberta
- List of trails in Alberta
- List of waterfalls of Alberta
References
- ^ a b "Parks Canada Attendance 2007-08 to 2012-13" (PDF). Parks Canada. July 31, 2013. p. 2. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
- ^ "The Monday Q&A: Film director Peter Lynch". Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ^ Lothian, W.F. (1977). "Chapter 1 The Early Years (Up to 1900)". A History of Canada's National Parks. Vol. II. Parks Canada. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ "1895-1621 - Dominion lands - Min. [Minister of the] Interior 1895/05/27 recds. [recommends] reservation certain for a Forest Park". Library and Archives Canada. Privy Council Office. May 30, 1895. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ Smith, Thomas (2010). "Western Canada's First Oil Discovery". GEO ExPro. 7 (4). Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ^ First Oil Well in Western Canada National Historic Site. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ^ a b Lothian, W.F. (1977). "Chapter 2 Expansion in the West (1900 to 1972)". A History of Canada's National Parks. Vol. II. Parks Canada. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ "1911-1338 - Dominion Parks established Glacier Park, Yoho Park, Rocky Mountains Park, Jasper Park, Waterton Lake Park - Min. Int. [Minister of the Interior] 1911/06/01". Library and Archives Canada. Privy Council Office. June 6, 1911. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ Lothian, W.F. (1977). "Chapter 4 National Parks Administration (1885 to 1973)". A History of Canada's National Parks. Vol. II. Parks Canada. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ "1914-1165 Dominion Parks - Amendment of Boundaries of Jasper Park and Waterton Lake Park - Min. Int. [Minister of the Interior] 1914/03/19". Library and Archives Canada. Privy Council Office. June 24, 1914. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ^ Lothian, W. F. (1977). "Chapter 6 Townsites and Subdivisions (1885-1973)". A History of Canada's National Parks. Vol. III. Parks Canada. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ISBN 0-9211-0271-2.
- ^ "Prince of Wales National Historic Site". Parks Canada. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
- ^ "Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park". Parks Canada. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ^ Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 1, 2021. pp. 1–7. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
- ^ "Waterton Glacier International Peace Park". whc.unesco.org. UNESCO. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ^ "Waterton Lakes National Park". pc.gc.ca. Parks Canada. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ^ "Ottawa spending $21M to help fire damaged Waterton Lakes National Park". Global News. 25 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Geology and landforms". Waterton Lakes National Park. Parks Canada. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ^ "Stromatolites". Waterton Lakes National Park. Parks Canada. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
- ^ "From bottom to top". Waterton Lakes National Park. Parks Canada. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
- ^ Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada (2017-07-15). "Green Scene - Waterton Lakes National Park". www.pc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
- ^ Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada (2018-07-10). "Green Scene - Moonworts and Quillworts - Waterton Lakes National Park". www.pc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
- ^ Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada (2018-08-22). "Wildlife - Birds - Waterton Lakes National Park". www.pc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
- ^ a b "Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000 Station Data". Environment Canada. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
- ^ UNESCO Archived 2006-10-09 at the Wayback Machine - Park description at UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve
- ^ UNESCO - Park description at UNESCO World Heritage