Cygnet Lake, Alberta

Location and Geography

Cygnet Lake is located approximately 4 km east of Sylvan Lake in central Alberta, Canada. The lake sits at coordinates 52°17'5" N, 114°1'2" W with an elevation of 928 metres, making it part of the Parkland Prairie (Pp2) Zone spanning approximately 48.4 hectares (120 acres).albertadiscoverguide+3

The lake is situated in the Red Deer River watershed and lies within Wildlife Management Unit 221. Highway 11 crosses the area via a causeway and bridge over Cygnet Lake, providing easy access to this wetland environment.wikipedia+1

Historical Context and Names

Cygnet Lake has a rich multicultural settlement history dating back to the late 1880s. The waterbody has been known by several names throughout its history, including Swan Lake, Cygnet Lake (cygnet being a baby swan), and most notably Burnt Lake.reddeeradvocate+1

The name "Burnt Lake" derived from the large peat beds along the shoreline that had caught fire at some point in the distant past and smoldered continuously for years. This was once a large but shallow body of water, much bigger in pre-settlement times than nearby Sylvan Lake.reddeeradvocate

Early Settlement

The area attracted Scandinavian immigrants in the 1890s due to its plentiful water, wonderful pasturage, and many trees. The Federal Government referred to the district as Swea Colony because of the large number of Swedish immigrants. Settlement accelerated when the Calgary-Edmonton Railway was built in 1890-1891.reddeerexpress+1

Estonian families also settled in the area, with Michael and Elizabet Wartnow arriving in 1901 and building a home near Burnt (Cygnet) Lake, though it was later destroyed by grass and forest fires.aehs

Significant Infrastructure Changes

A major transformation occurred during the construction of the Alberta Central Railway. Much of Cygnet (Burnt) Lake was drained by deepening the outlet south of Sylvan Lake during construction. The railway bypassed the developing community of Stockholm, causing setbacks to local development when the A.C.R. drained much of Burnt Lake and built across the old lakebed to cut construction costs.forthjunction+2

Current Status as Conservation Area

Today, Cygnet Lake operates as a 1,495-acre conservation site managed by Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). The area consists of wetland and grassland habitat supporting diverse wildlife populations including:open.alberta+1

• Moose

• White-tailed deer

• Waterfowlalbertadiscoverguide+1

Access and Restrictions

The conservation area has specific access limitations:

• Day use only

• No open fires

• Foot access only

• Contact number: 403-352-9395 for more informationopen.alberta

Fishing Regulations and Connectivity

Cygnet Lake is hydrologically connected to the Sylvan Lake system through Sylvan Creek. However, both Sylvan Creek and Cygnet Lake are closed to fishing year-round under Alberta fishing regulations. This closure likely protects critical pike spawning habitat, as the creek system serves as an important spawning route for northern pike moving between Sylvan Lake and Cygnet Lake.slwssnews.wordpress+2

The regulations specify the area as "NE-11-38-28-W4; Includes Cygnet Lake - CLOSED ALL YEAR".albertaregulations+1

Water Level Fluctuations and Wet/Dry Cycles

Based on your interest in wet and dry periods, Cygnet Lake experiences significant seasonal and long-term water level fluctuations connected to the broader Sylvan Lake watershed system.

Natural Water Balance Dynamics

The lake system operates like a "rain gauge that captures water received as precipitation and runoff" within the watershed. Key factors affecting water levels include:sylvanlakenews

• Precipitation patterns

• Evaporation rates

• Groundwater flow

• Surface runoff

• Connection to Sylvan Creek outletopen.alberta+1

Historical Water Level Variations

The connected Sylvan Lake system (which flows to Cygnet Lake) has documented water level fluctuations over approximately 1 meter range. During the dry summer of 2018, Sylvan Lake dropped 0.25 meters between June 10 and September 15, representing a loss of more than 10 million cubic meters of water.open.alberta+1

Seasonal Cycles

The area experiences typical prairie wetland wet-dry cycles influenced by:

• Cool, wet springs that can lead to higher water levels

• Hot, dry summers that cause significant evaporation losses

• Annual precipitation variations ranging from 10 to 30 inches yearly in the broader regionopen.alberta

• Groundwater contributions that provide significant inflowslwssnews.wordpress+1

Climate Change Implications

The region faces increasing temperature trends and longer growing seasons, which may intensify the wet-dry cycle patterns. Historical records indicate the area has experienced various climate extremes, from periods of abundant water supporting diverse wildlife to drought conditions that stress the wetland ecosystem.sylvanlakenews

This dynamic wet-dry cycling creates the diverse wetland and grassland habitat that makes Cygnet Lake valuable for waterfowl, moose, and deer populations, explaining why it's protected as a Ducks Unlimited conservation site.albertadiscoverguide+1

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