Quill Lakes
The Quill Lakes are a wetland complex in Saskatchewan, Canada that encompasses the endorheic basin of three distinct lake wetlands: Big Quill Lake, Middle Quill Lake, and Little Quill Lake. On May 27, 1987, it was designated a wetland of international importance via the Ramsar Convention. It was the first Canadian site in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, is a site in the International Biological Programme and Saskatchewan Heritage Marsh Program, and was designated a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site of International significance in May, 1994. The site is an important staging and breeding area for spring and fall migration of shorebirds. The site qualifies as an Important Bird Area of Canada for its globally and nationally significant migratory and breeding populations of more than a dozen species of birds. The IBA is designated as Quill Lakes .
Description
The lakes were named for bird quills collected near shorelines and shipped to England for use as quill pens. The Quill Lakes are Canada's largest saline lake, covering an area of about. Salinity varies within the lakes and with their water levels, but effectively limits the floral diversity of the region. Located directly north of Regina and east of Saskatoon, it is primarily provincial Crown land administered by the Fish and Wildlife Branch of Saskatchewan Environment.File:Quill Lakes watershed.jpg|thumb|left|Quill Lakes drainage basin
The surrounding area, consisting of glacial moraines, is mostly used for agricultural purposes. Big Quill Lake is pear-shaped and approximately long, measuring at its widest point. Middle Quill Lake, also known as Mud Lake, is the smallest of the three, about long and wide. Little Quill Lake is long and wide. The Islands of Middle Quill Lake have been designated as the provincial Mud Lake Wildlife Refuge to protect breeding colonies of American white pelican and double-crested cormorant.
Drought in the surrounding regions results in increased water draw from the lakes, reducing the water level and increasing its salinity. This reduces the breeding habitat for the piping plover. Since 2005, above average precipitation has resulted in widespread flooding and the lake rising and in danger of overflowing into the Last Mountain Lake watershed.