Muriel Lake is located within the Municipal District of Bonnyville, approximately 13 km south of the town of Bonnyville and about 250 km northeast of Edmonton. Muriel Lake is a large lake of approximately 64.1 square kilometres, surrounded by summer cottages and year round homes. Muriel Lake was once known for its beautiful beaches and pristine water. It once had three commercial campgrounds as well as a Catholic Boys Camp, Recreation Centre and a Lakeland Division of the Girl Guides of Canada. During the summer months, the lake was busy with water sports, fishing and swimming. Declining water levels are now preventing many of these activities from taking place, significantly changing the atmosphere at Muriel Lake, and causing concern over both water quantity and quality in a drastically altered environment.
Muriel Lake has lost approximately half of its water in the last 35 years. The lake was at its highest in 1975, when the water level was at 560.4 m asl. The water began declining in 1976. As early as 1988, 87% of Muriel Lake landowners reported being concerned with the decreasing water levels (survey for the Muriel Lake Structure Plan review). Little did they know, the water level would continue a steady decline. As of December 31 2010, the water level was recorded at 555.77 m asl, which equalled a drop in 4.5 m from its height in the early 1980s. The Alberta Lake Management Society in a 2006 water report, noted that: “This enormous decline is unprecedented for natural lakes in Alberta, even in the face of recent trends of declining lake levels observed across the Province.” The Muriel Lake water level is currently at an all time low and did not increased during wet years, as one would have expected.
Low precipitation and surface water blockages due to beaver dams, new road systems, pipeline crossings and other industrial activity are likely factors in the water level declines over the last several decades. More research is needed to understand why Muriel Lake is declining at such an unprecedented rate and without sign of recovery.
Maps of Muriel Lake:
Location of Muriel Lake in the Lakeland Area: http://www.ualberta.ca/~ersc/water/climate/muriel/locate.htm
Muriel Lake Drainage Basin
We have seen these three different images used to describe the Muriel Lake Drainage Basin.
