Clearwater Lakes

Impact craters

The Lac à l' Eau Claire (english Clearwater Lakes, Cree Language: Wiyasakami, Innu Language: Allait Qasigialingat ) is formed of two connected circular portion lakes in the Canadian Shield in the Canadian province of Quebec near the Hudson Bay.

The two lakes are part of a series of islands - isolated - like a dotted line. Thus, the Lac à l' Eau Claire consists of an eastern and a western part.

The area is 1383 km ², the net water area 1253 km ², the water surface is at 241 m, the maximum water depth at 178 m.

The coordinates of the two lakes are: Eastern Teilsee: (56 ° 3 ' 44 "N, 74 ° 6' 50 " W56.062222 - 74.113889 ) Western Teilsee: (56 ° 13 ' 50 "N, 74 ° 29' 13" W56.230556 - 74.486944 )

The name of the lake comes from its clear waters. Indeed, there are only 25 in Quebec lakes with the same name. The Lac à l' Eau Claire is after the Lac Mistassini is the second largest natural lake in Quebec.

The explorer and geologist Albert Peter Low, described in 1896 the exceptionally clear waters of the lake.

Impact craters

The two sub- lakes fill circular depressions, which are considered a pair of impact craters. The eastern crater has a diameter of 26 km, the western crater of 36 km. Both craters have the same age, 290 ± 20 million years (Permian ) and it is believed that they originated at the same time.

Microclimate

Because of its size, the lake has an influence on the local micro-climate, as evidenced by the presence of particular plant species. Although the lake shore is mainly inhabited by boreal plant species, the central islands are marked in the western Teilsee through Arctic species, which make these an arctic enclave.

Planned Provincial Park

A large area in the vicinity of the lake, Lac Guillaume- Delisle including, Lacs des Loups Marins, Petit Lac des Loups Marins and Lac D' Iberville, is the subject of an investigation in preparation for a new provincial parks. The proposed park would be with 15,549 km ², the largest park in Quebec (except wilderness reserves ).