Dismal Lakes
Encyclopedia
Dismal Lakes are a series of three interconnected lake
s in the Canadian
Northwest Territories
located roughly midway between the Coronation Gulf
and Great Bear Lake
, east of the Dease River
. The Teshierpi River discharges into the narrows between the second and third Dismal Lakes, and the third lake discharges into the Kendall River
. The lakes were named by explorer Thomas Simpson
.
Two miles west of the western lake is Sandy Creek
, which flows south into the Dease River
. The west end of western lake is surrounded by bare hills covered in sharp broken rock, and it is from this barren area that the lakes get their name. Three small brooks enter the lake at this end, one from the south, and two from the west. Approximately six miles from the western end of the lake it narrows to half a mile, and on the other side of these narrows the lake is surrounded by rounded slopes covered with grass and heath
s. There is a shallow sandbar extending across the eastern end of the lake.
The narrows between the first and second lakes are a favored crossing-place for the caribou. The narrow river is confined between steep gravel hills and has a fairly strong current.
The center lake is hemmed in by mountains. On the north side the Coppermine Mountains rise in terraces to nearly one thousand feet. There are some small spruce
in a cove on the north shore. On the south side of the lake is Teshierpi Mountain, the southern-most spur of the Coppermine Mountains, rising approximately 800 feet. At the east end of the lake is a shallow sandbar which extends across the width of the lake, followed by a series of small willow
covered islands.
The narrows between the second and third lakes is a short river with a sandy channel. The Teshierpi River joins this channel from the south.
The eastern lake is the smallest of the three, approximately three miles long and a mile wide. It is surrounded by gently rising grassy shores and, at a distance, mountains. There is a shallow sandbar extending across the eastern end of the lake. The third lake discharges into the Kendall River
, which flows southwest into the Coppermine River
. The extreme end of the third lake is sparsely wooded with small spruce, which extend down the Kendall.
The Dismal Lakes are one of the historical homes of Nagyuktogmiut, a Copper Inuit
subgroup.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
located roughly midway between the Coronation Gulf
Coronation Gulf
Coronation Gulf lies between Victoria Island and mainland Nunavut in Canada. To the northwest it connects with Dolphin and Union Strait and thence the Beaufort Sea and Arctic Ocean; to the northeast it connects with Dease Strait and thence Queen Maud Gulf. To the southeast lies Bathurst...
and Great Bear Lake
Great Bear Lake
Great Bear Lake is the largest lake entirely within Canada , the third or fourth largest in North America, and the seventh or eighth largest in the world...
, east of the Dease River
Dease River
The Dease River flows through northwestern British Columbia, Canada and is a tributary of the Liard River. The river descends from Dease Lake, though its ultimate origin is in the headwater of Little Dease Creek at Snow Peak, approximately 50 km to the west of the lake...
. The Teshierpi River discharges into the narrows between the second and third Dismal Lakes, and the third lake discharges into the Kendall River
Kendall River
Kendall River is a small river and tributary to the Coppermine River in the Canadian Northwest Territories that connects the Dismal Lakes to the Coppermine River....
. The lakes were named by explorer Thomas Simpson
Thomas Simpson (explorer)
Thomas Simpson , Hudson's Bay Company agent and personal secretary for Hudson Bay governor Sir George Simpson, and arctic explorer.-Early life:...
.
Two miles west of the western lake is Sandy Creek
Sandy Creek
Sandy Creek may refer to:In Australia* Sandy Creek * Sandy Creek , a tributary of Lake Somerset* Sandy Creek, South Australia, a town* Sandy Creek In the United States of America...
, which flows south into the Dease River
Dease River
The Dease River flows through northwestern British Columbia, Canada and is a tributary of the Liard River. The river descends from Dease Lake, though its ultimate origin is in the headwater of Little Dease Creek at Snow Peak, approximately 50 km to the west of the lake...
. The west end of western lake is surrounded by bare hills covered in sharp broken rock, and it is from this barren area that the lakes get their name. Three small brooks enter the lake at this end, one from the south, and two from the west. Approximately six miles from the western end of the lake it narrows to half a mile, and on the other side of these narrows the lake is surrounded by rounded slopes covered with grass and heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
s. There is a shallow sandbar extending across the eastern end of the lake.
The narrows between the first and second lakes are a favored crossing-place for the caribou. The narrow river is confined between steep gravel hills and has a fairly strong current.
The center lake is hemmed in by mountains. On the north side the Coppermine Mountains rise in terraces to nearly one thousand feet. There are some small spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
in a cove on the north shore. On the south side of the lake is Teshierpi Mountain, the southern-most spur of the Coppermine Mountains, rising approximately 800 feet. At the east end of the lake is a shallow sandbar which extends across the width of the lake, followed by a series of small willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
covered islands.
The narrows between the second and third lakes is a short river with a sandy channel. The Teshierpi River joins this channel from the south.
The eastern lake is the smallest of the three, approximately three miles long and a mile wide. It is surrounded by gently rising grassy shores and, at a distance, mountains. There is a shallow sandbar extending across the eastern end of the lake. The third lake discharges into the Kendall River
Kendall River
Kendall River is a small river and tributary to the Coppermine River in the Canadian Northwest Territories that connects the Dismal Lakes to the Coppermine River....
, which flows southwest into the Coppermine River
Coppermine River
The Coppermine River is a river in the North Slave and Kitikmeot regions of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in Canada. It is long. It rises in Lac de Gras, a small lake near Great Slave Lake and flows generally north to Coronation Gulf, an arm of the Arctic Ocean...
. The extreme end of the third lake is sparsely wooded with small spruce, which extend down the Kendall.
The Dismal Lakes are one of the historical homes of Nagyuktogmiut, a Copper Inuit
Copper Inuit
Copper Inuit are a Canadian Inuit group who live north of the tree line, in Nunavut's Kitikmeot Region and the Northwest Territories's Inuvik Region. Most historically lived in the area around Coronation Gulf, on Victoria Island, and southern Banks Island.Their western boundary was Wise Point,...
subgroup.