The northeast shores of the lake feature sharp cliffs, numerous islands and fjord-like bays. Its name originates from the word  "satudene" in Denesuline, which means “grizzly bear water people”. The northeast shores of the lake feature sharp cliffs, numerous islands and fjord-like bays. Europeans were not aware of the great size of the lake until around 1783, when Peter Pond found about its location. The Great Bear Lake, with a surface area of 31,153 square kilometers, is the eighth largest lake in the world by surface area, the fourth largest in North America, and the largest lake located entirely in Canada. The Great Bear Lake is located in Canada’s Northwest Territories, on the Arctic Circle, at an altitude of 186 meters (or 610 feet). Lakepedia is the number one online encyclopedia of lakes. Mining companies hired Sahtu Dene as prospectors to find new ore deposits. The lake was discovered around 1800 by traders from the North West Company. Some of the uranium went to the Manhattan Project — an American research program that aimed to create nuclear weapons during the Second World War. Our beautiful planet is one of our most important assets. The Great Bear Lake, with a surface area of 31,153 square kilometers, is the eighth largest lake in the world by surface area, the fourth largest in North America, and the largest lake located entirely in Canada. Domestic fishing by local Dene and sport fishing were permitted, however, and the lodges on the lake remain important tourism destinations for anglers. Its name originates from the word "satudene" in Denesuline, which means “grizzly bear water people”. It is thought that 4-5 different kinds of trout call the lake home, which makes it a truly exceptional case. The lake has a shore length of 2,719 kilometers, or 1,690 miles, a length of 310 kilometers (193 miles), and a maximum width of 177 kilometers (110 miles). Saoyú and Æehdacho is Canada’s largest national historic site and serves to acknowledge and protect the importance of these landscapes to Dene narratives, culture and history. The toxic legacy of historical mining operations on Great Bear Lake remains an environmental concern. Great Bear Lake straddles the boundary between the Canadian Shield and the Interior Platform, as well as the northern boreal forest and tundra (see also Geological Regions; Forest Regions). It is also the fourth largest in North America and the eighth largest in the world. To zoom in or out and see the surrounding area, use the buttons shown on the map. Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy Délįne expanded alongside Port Radium in the 1940s and 1950s, and more Dene settled in the community, particularly after the uranium mining operations ceased in 1960. Water flows out of the lake into the Great Bear River, then into the Mackenzie River. Big Bear Lake is a city in San Bernardino County, California along the south shore of Big Bear Lake, located 25 miles (40 km) northeast of the city of San Bernardino. The former Port Radium (later Echo Bay) mining area was established on the eastern shore of the McTavish Arm in 1933, and it was the site of the pitchblende Eldorado Mine. Most of the current English names for Great Bear Lake and the surrounding area date from the fur trade period. Elsewhere, fast running waters at the meeting of Great Bear Lake and Great Bear River kept the surface from freezing, enabling year-round fishing for cisco — a practice that dates back at least 6,000 years. The lake has surface area of 31,153 square kilometers (or 12,028 square miles) and a maximum depth of 446 meters (or 1,463 feet), boasting a volume of 2,236 cubic kilometers (536 cubic miles). The medical applications of radium, used to treat cancers in the early 20th century, made this a highly valuable find. Indeed, fishing by people at Port Radium, combined with the low biological productivity of the lake, meant that it did not take long for the fish stocks nearest to the mining operations to become depleted. The North West Company established its Great Bear Lake post at Délįne in 1799 and explorer Sir John Franklin chose it as the location of Fort Franklin (his winter headquarters during his expedition in 1825–27). The lake is located in a very remote and wild located. Dene also sold meat and fish to people living and working at Port Radium, although many of the newcomers liked to fish and hunt for sport. A prospecting rush followed soon thereafter. The most important rivers that flow into the lake include Whitefish River (144 kilometers or 89 miles), Haldane River, Big Spruce River, Sloan River, Bloody River, Johnny Hoe River, and Dease River. The value of the fisheries at this site, known as Délįne (“where the water flows”), made it highly attractive to traders and explorers who arrived in the region at the beginning of the 19th century. This is also the location of the small community of Deline, built in 1825 by the British explorer Sir John Franklin. In 1942, the Canadian government secretly reopened the principal Eldorado mine in order to extract uranium (which had previously been disposed of as waste). Educators: Take our survey for a chance to win prizes! By contrast, the southwest shores of the lake are flatter, with rich sta… Its average depth is 72 meters (236 feet), and it has a catchment area of 114,717 square kilometers (44,292 square miles). By contrast, the southwest shores of the lake are flatter, with rich stands of spruce and large swaths of muskeg. Grizzly Bear Mountain, located on the lake’s southern shore and the Scented Grass Hill on its western shore, form the Sahoyue-Edacho National Historic Site. Recent research has demonstrated that heavy metals are accumulating in fish found near Port Radium in higher concentrations than elsewhere on the lake. Location. Significant change came to Great Bear Lake in 1930 when prospectors, drawn to the brightly coloured rocks on the lake’s eastern shore, identified a deposit rich in pitchblende and silver. Pitchblende is an ore that contains radium and uranium. Robert bell carried out a geological survey in 1900. Natural sources of mercury have contaminated fish from the Johnny Hoe River at high enough levels to be a health concern and, as a result, the formerly important domestic fishery at the site has been largely abandoned. Exhaustive mining ultimately depleted the reserves, and the community has been abandoned. Great Bear is in the process of acquiring three additional properties in the Red Lake district: Dedee, Pakwash and Sobel. and plan your next amazing vacation. 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