Weed Lake Explained

50.9797°N -113.6558°WWeed Lake is a wetland near Langdon, Alberta, Canada.^[1] It is the home to many natural wildlife including several species of birds and fish.

Weed Lake is located about 20km (10miles) east of Calgary, immediately north-east of Langdon. It is a 600ha wetland that is regionally important as waterfowl habitat. In 1971, the original lake was drained for agriculture but since 2006, the lake has been restored and it is now a fully functioning, healthy wetland ecosystem. Organizations involved in acquiring the land and restoring the lake were led by Ducks Unlimited and include the Calgary Field Naturalists' Society.^[2]

List of species

In 2015 students of Sarah Thompson School, assisted by local wildlife experts, identified the following list of species at Weed Lake:^{[3] [4]}

Birds

(It has been reported elsewhere that 172 species of bird have been observed at Weed Lake.^[5])

• • • • • • • • • • Black-necked stilt Black tern Northern shoveler American white pelican Blue jay Canada goose Great blue heron Trumpeter swan Mallard duck ruddy duck

Insects

• • Butterflies Diving beetles
  • Dragonflies Ladybugs
• Grass spiders (Agelenopsis)

Plants

• • • • • • • • Algae Cattail Bulrush Sage Duckweed Early blue violet Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Wetland Protection: Past Experiences, Future Directions . Ducks Unlimited Canada . 2014 . ABNAWMP Forum . 25 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20160519082903/http://www.abnawmp.ca/media/uploads/T_Scott-Wetland_Forum-Stewardship_Mar2014.pdf. 19 May 2016. 11.
2. Web site: Weed Lake . Ian Halladay . 2012 . Naturecalgary.com . 25 March 2021.
3. Web site: The Weed Lake Project . www.abcee.org . Alberta Council for Environmental Education . 25 March 2021.
4. Web site: Creating a Sustainable Future: Designing and Exploring What Our Learning Looks Like . 25 March 2021 . This is how we have demonstrated, documented and reflected upon our learningWikipedia web page:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weed_Lake_Wetland_%28Langdon,_Alberta%29.
5. Web site: Weed Lake--South Viewpoint (Glenmore Trail), Calgary County, AB, CA - eBird Hotspot . ebird.org . 25 March 2021 . en.