May 8, 2008
CPAWS is delighted to see Little Limestone Lake recently recognized by Canadian Geographic Travel magazine as having one of Canada’s best beaches. Little Limestone is a truly special and unique lake. In fact, it’s the biggest and best of its kind.
Located near the northwest tip of Lake Winnipeg, Little Limestone is Earth’s pre-eminent marl lake. Marl is created when calcite, the chief constituent of limestone, is chemically precipitated from warm water. As the temperature rises, the quantity of marl increases, which changes the colour of the lake. It’s common for the lake to transform from a brilliant turquoise in the morning, to a robin’s egg blue by mid-afternoon.
Little Limestone Lake, along with a 100 meter buffer zone around the lake’s shore, is presently protected from industrial developments while a process to determine a permanent designation for the area is underway. Many are concerned that the area currently protected is not adequate to secure Little Limestone’s water quality and the ecological integrity of the surrounding landscape.
It is essential the province work with local First Nations and all Manitobans to make certain the final protected area is large enough to maintain the lake’s health as well as traditional activities and sustainable tourism opportunities for the area’s residents. Identifying all the water sources that feed Little Limestone is essential to making this determination. However, the province has not revealed any plans to do the study required to acquire this crucial information.
Safeguarding Little Limestone Lake, and all the breathtakingly beautiful lands that nourish it, is a vital step to a healthy and prosperous future for local communities and all Manitobans.