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Great Bear Lake (Slave: Sahtú; French: Grand lac de l'Ours) is a lake in the boreal forest of Canada. It is the largest lake entirely in Canada (Lake Superior and Lake Huron are larger but straddle the Canada–US border), the fourth-largest in North America, and the ninth-largest in the world. The lake is in the Northwest Territories, on the Arctic Circle between 65 and 67 degrees of northern latitude and between 118 and 123 degrees western longitude, 156 m (512 ft) above sea level.

Great Bear Lake
Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories
Great Bear Lake
Location	Northwest Territories
Coordinates	65°50′01″N 120°45′06″W
Lake type	Glacial
Native name	Sahtú (Slave) Grand lac de l'Ours (French)
Primary outflows	Great Bear River
Catchment area	114,717 km2 (44,292 sq mi)[1][2]
Basin countries	Canada
Surface area	31,153 km2 (12,028 sq mi)[1][2]
Average depth	71.7 m (235 ft)[1][2]
Max. depth	446 m (1,463 ft)[1][2]
Water volume	2,236 km3 (536 cu mi)[1][2]
Residence time	124 years[1]
Shore length1	2,719 km (1,690 mi) (plus 824 km (512 mi) island shoreline)[1][2]
Surface elevation	156 m (512 ft)
Frozen	November - July[2]
Islands	26 main islands, totaling 759.3 km2 (293.2 sq mi) in area[1]
Settlements	Délı̨nę
References	[1][2]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

The name originated from the Chipewyan language word satudene, meaning "grizzly bear water people". The Sahtu, a Dene people, are named after the lake. Grizzly Bear Mountain on the shore of the lake also comes from Chipewyan, meaning, "bear large hill".[3][4]

The Sahoyue (Grizzly Bear Mountain) peninsula on the south side of the lake and the Edacho (Scented Grass Hills) peninsula on the west side form the Saoyú-ʔehdacho National Historic Site of Canada.[5][6]

Geography

The lake has a surface area of 31,153 km² (12,028 sq mi) and a volume of 2,236 km³ (536 cu mi). Its maximum depth is 446 m (1,463 ft) and average depth 71.7 m (235 ft). The shoreline is 2,719 km (1,690 mi) and the catchment area of the lake is 114,717 km² (44,292 sq mi).[7] Great Bear Lake is covered with ice from late November to July.[2]

The lake is known for its considerable clarity. Explorer John Franklin wrote in 1828 that a white rag placed in the water did not disappear until it exceeded a depth of 15 fathoms (90 ft; 27 m).[8]

Arms

Arms of Great Bear Lake include the Smith Arm (northwest), the Dease Arm (northeast), the McTavish Arm (southeast), the McVicar Arm (south) and the Keith Arm (southwest). The community of Délı̨nę is located on the Keith Arm near the outflow of the Great Bear River that flows west into the Mackenzie River at Tulita.[9]

Tributaries

Rivers flowing into Great Bear Lake include the Whitefish River,[10] Big Spruce River,[11] Haldane River,[12] Bloody River,[13] Sloan River,[14] Dease River[15] and the Johnny Hoe River.[16]

Prehistoric geology

Great Bear Lake lies between two major physiographic regions: the Kazan Uplands portion of the Canadian Shield and the Interior Plains. It was part of glacial Lake McConnell in the pre-glacial valleys reshaped by erosional ice during the Pleistocene. Since, the lake has changed from post-glacial rebound following the ice melting. Precambrian rocks of the Canadian Shield form the eastern margin of the McTavish Arm. These rocks of the Precambrian are sedimentary and metamorphic deposits supplemented by igneous intrusions forming dikes and sills.[17]

Climate

Human use

The community of Délı̨nę is on the lake, near the headwaters of the Bear River.[19] There is an ice crossing from Délı̨nę to the winter road on the far side of the Great Bear River.[20][21]

On 5 March 2016, a tank truck fell partway through the ice road just a few days after the government had increased the allowed maximum weight limit to 40,000 kg (88,000 lb) on the road.[22] The truck, which was 3 km (1.9 mi) outside of Délı̨nę and close to the community's fresh water intake, as well as a major fishing area, contained approximately 30,000 l (6,600 imp gal; 7,900 US gal) of heating fuel and was one of 70 truck loads intended to resupply the community.[23] The fuel was removed from the truck by 2 am, 8 March.[24]

Three lodges around the lake are destinations for fishing and hunting.[2] In 1995, a 32.8 kg (72.3 lb) lake trout was caught, the largest ever caught anywhere by angling.[25]

Mining

In 1930, Gilbert LaBine discovered uranium deposits in the Great Bear Lake region. The former mining area Port Radium, site of the Eldorado Mine, where pitchblende was discovered, was located on the eastern shore. Echo Bay Mines Limited leased the old camp and mill at Port Radium to recover silver and copper values from 1965 to 1981.[26]

Cultural significance

The Prophecy

Great Bear Lake is paramount in the Délı̨nę peoples' identity, laws and culture. Hence, conserving it is critical for the Délı̨nę people. ɂehtsǝ́o Erǝ́ya, a Dene Elder, is widely regarded as a prophet, making over 30 prophecies which have been interpreted as having come true.[27] His prediction for the end of times claims that, as the world dries up, the little remaining life will flock to, and end on the banks of the Great Bear Lake, a lake seen as a physical beating heart to humanity.[28] The Délı̨nę people have followed these prophecies closely, the cultural considerations being a driving force for self-governance and environmental sustainability.[29]

Gallery

• 
  Ruins of Fort Confidence at the mouth of the Dease River in 1911
• 
  The community of Délı̨nę on Great Bear Lake
• 
  Grizzly Bear Mountain, Great Bear Lake
• 
  Smoke from forest fires in Alaska blows over Great Bear Lake
• 
  Great Bear Lake. Note the smoke plumes from wildfires

References

External links

• 1867 account of the lake by William Carpenter Bompas

На других языках

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[de] Großer Bärensee

Der Große Bärensee (englisch Great Bear Lake; französisch Grand lac de l’Ours; Slavey Sahtú) ist der größte See im Gebiet der Nordwest-Territorien in Kanada, der viertgrößte See in Nordamerika und damit der größte See Nordamerikas außerhalb des Gebietes der Großen Seen. Er liegt im Déline District[2] der Sahtu Region.

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- [en] Great Bear Lake

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[es] Gran Lago del Oso

El Gran Lago del Oso (en inglés, Great Bear Lake; en francés, Grand lac de l'Ours; en slave, Sahtú) es un gran lago localizado en el noroeste de Canadá, que con una superficie es de 31.153 km², es el séptimo mayor lago del mundo, el cuarto más grande de América del Norte y el más grande enteramente en Canadá (son más grandes el lago Superior y el Lago Hurón. pero están a ambos lados de la frontera entre Canadá y los Estados Unidos). El lago se encuentra en los Territorios del Noroeste —es también el mayor de los lagos del territorio—y está situado a una altitud de 186 m sobre el nivel del mar, a caballo sobre el Círculo Polar Ártico (entre los 65° y los 67° N y entre los 118° y 123° O)[3]. Tiene un volumen total de agua de 2.236 km³ y su profundidad máxima es de 446 m.

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[fr] Grand lac de l'Ours

Le grand lac de l’Ours est un lac dans la forêt boréale d'Amérique du Nord. C’est le plus grand lac des Territoires du Nord-Ouest au Canada, et avec une superficie de 31 800 km2, c’est le quatrième d’Amérique du Nord. Il a 2 719 km de côte et est relié à l'océan Arctique par la rivière de l'Ours qui à son tour se jette dans le Mackenzie.

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[ru] Большое Медвежье озеро

Большо́е Медве́жье о́зеро[2] (англ. Great Bear Lake, фр. Grand lac de l'Ours, слейви Sahtú) — одно из крупнейших озёр в Канаде (и крупнейшее из располагающихся полностью на территории этой страны), четвёртое по величине в Северной Америке и восьмое по величине в мире. Озеро лежит на Северном полярном круге, на границе областей тайги и тундры. Индейская народность сахту имеет самоназвание по озеру. Современное название, по-видимому, дано Александром Маккензи, переведшим на английский туземные слова «Озеро гризли»; его пять отрогов (Диз, Мактавиш, Маквайкар, Кит и Смит) названы в честь сотрудников Компании Гудзонова залива, оказывавших помощь Джону Франклину в его северных экспедициях[3].

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