imported>Howard Cheni at 18:52, 12 May 2025

2025-05-12T18:52:16Z

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{{Short description|Lake in Mackenzie County, Alberta, Canada}}
{{For|other uses of this word|Zama (disambiguation)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Zama Lake
| image =
| caption =
| image_bathymetry =
| caption_bathymetry =
| location = [[Mackenzie County]], [[Alberta]]
| coords = {{coord|58|45|N|119|05|W|type:waterbody_region:CA-AB|display=inline,title|notes=<ref>{{cite cgndb|IAACO|Zama Lake}}</ref>}}
| type =
| inflow =
| outflow = [[Hay River (Canada)|Hay River]]
| catchment =
| basin_countries = Canada
| length = {{convert|35|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| width = {{convert|8|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| area = {{convert|55|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| depth =
| max-depth =
| volume =
| residence_time =
| shore =
| elevation = {{convert|320|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| islands =
| cities = [[Zama City]]
| pushpin_map = Canada Alberta
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Zama Lake in [[Alberta]]
}}
'''Zama Lake''' is a large [[lake]] in [[Mackenzie County]], in north-western [[Alberta]], [[Canada]].

Major Ernest Wilson Hubbell, Chief Inspector of the [[Dominion Land Survey]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Greene |first=B.M. |title=Who's Who and Why |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qPc0AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1213 |year=1912 |publisher=International Press |location=Ottawa |page=1213 |chapter=Hubbell, Major Ernest Wilson}}</ref> recorded the name "Zammah River" in his field notes as the transliteration of the name of a Slavey Chief (Slavey Indians are now known as the [[Dene Tha' First Nation]]). The Geographic Board of Canada recorded the name "Zama River" on 4 July 1922 without explanation for the spelling change. The lake seems to be named in the same fashion and was named on 6 November 1944. The Dene Tha' do not use the name "Zama Lake", but use names in the [[Slavey language]] to identify the lake; some use ''K’ah Woti Túé'' (“Main Blind Lake” referring to a hunting blind) and others use ''Tulonh Mieh'' (“Where the Water Ends”).<ref name=Kelland>{{cite web |first=Ron |last=Kelland |title=Zama |website=RETROactive |publisher=Historic Resources Management Branch of [[Alberta Culture, Multiculturalism, and Status of Women]] |date=21 August 2012 |url=https://albertashistoricplaces.com/2012/08/21/zama/}}</ref>

The lake is located approximately {{convert|25|km|mi}} northeast of [[Rainbow Lake, Alberta|Rainbow Lake]] and {{convert|115|km|mi}} west northwest of [[High Level, Alberta|High Level]],<ref name=Kelland/> at the confluence of [[Zama River]] and [[Hay River (Canada)|Hay River]]. The lake covers {{convert|55|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and forms an intricate river, lakes, and wetland system. The [[Hay-Zama Lakes]] complex is a [[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] site that is important for spring and fall migrating [[duck]]s and [[goose|geese]]. As many as 250,000 ducks and geese use the lakes during the fall migration.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/nature/whp/ramsar/df02s12.en.html
|title=Hay-Zama Lakes - Ramsar Site
|publisher=[[Environment Canada]]
|access-date= 2007-09-03}}</ref>

A small hamlet, [[Zama City]] is located approximately {{convert|50|km|mi}} north of the lake<ref>[http://www.zamacity.ca/ Zama City.ca]</ref> and the unincorporated community of [[Chateh]] in the [[Hay Lake 209]] [[Indian reserve]] of the Dene Tha' First Nation is also located south of the lake.<ref>{{cite web |title=First Nation Detail |date=2019-04-09 |website=[[Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada]] |publisher=Government of Canada |url=https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/FNMain.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=448&lang=eng}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Alberta rivers and lakes}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Lakes of Alberta]]
[[Category:Mackenzie County]]

{{northernAlberta-geo-stub}}

Zama Lake - Revision history

imported>Howard Cheni at 18:52, 12 May 2025