Maple Creek (Saskatchewan)

Maple Creek begins at an elevation of over {{convert|1200|m}} in the Cypress Hills in the RM of Maple Creek No. 111. The Cypress Hills{{cite web |last1=Campbell |first1=Ian |title=Cypress Hills |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/cypress-hills |website=The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher=The Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=21 February 2023 |date=26 May 2009}} are part of the Missouri Coteau, which is a large upland region along the continental divide. Most of the lower watershed of the river is protected by the Maple Creek Grasslands and Bigstick Lake Plain IBAs.{{cite web |title=Bigstick Lake Plain |url=https://www.ibacanada.ca/site.jsp?siteID=SK042 |website=IBA Canada |publisher=Birds Canada |access-date=21 February 2023}}

From the Cypress Hills, Maple Creek flows northward through valleys and coulees where it is joined by several creeks before opening up onto the plains. The town of Maple Creek{{cite web |title=Maple Creek |url=https://www.maplecreek.ca/ |website=Maple Creek |publisher=Town of Maple Creek |access-date=21 February 2023}} is along the course of the river and is located near the base of the Cypress Hills. Just north of the town, Maple Creek is joined by its longest tributary, Gap Creek.{{cite web |title= Gap Creek |url=https://toponymes.rncan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique/HAOQL|website=Canadian Geographical Names Database |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=21 February 2023}} From there, Maple Creek flows into Junction Reservoir. Maple Creek continues northward from the reservoir where it crosses the Trans-Canada Highway. From the Trans-Canada Highway, it continues northward where it is joined by several small creeks, such as one that flows in from Bitter Lake, en route to Bigstick Lake. At the western end of Bigstick Lake, a restriction dam was built in 1974 by Ducks Unlimited Canada that created a marsh that covers an area of about 100 to 200 hectares.

Highway 21 parallels the river from near its source in the Cypress Hills to its mouth at Bigstick Lake. An historic trail called Big Stick Trail ran between the town of Maple Creek and the South Saskatchewan River following Maple Creek for much of the route. The trail was notable for a large, solitary tree along the route.{{cite book | title=Geographic Names of Saskatchewan | url=https://archive.org/details/geographicnameso0000barr | url-access=registration | first=Bill | last=Barry | year=2005 | isbn=1-897010-19-2 | publisher=People Places Publishing Ltd. | location=Regina, Saskatchewan}}{{cite web |last1=Pentland |first1=R. S. |last2=Abrahamson |first2=B. T. |last3=Wiens |first3=L. H. |title=Maple Creek (Bigstick lake) Watershed June, 2010 Flood |url=https://www.saskatchewan.ca/-/media/news-archive/2011/february/07/maple-creek-2010-flood-report-released/maple-creek-2010-flood-report.pdf |website=Water Resources Consultants Ltd. |publisher=Government of Saskatchewan |access-date=21 February 2023}}

Several tributaries flow into Maple Creek. From upper to lower watershed, the notable ones include:

• Flemming Creek
• Gap Creek{{cite web |title=Cypress Hills (North Slope) Watershed |url=https://www.wsask.ca/hydrographs/cypress-hills-north-slope-watershed/ |website=Water Security Agency |publisher=Water Security Agency |access-date=21 February 2023}}
• Shaw Creek
• Cypress Creek
• Downie Creek
• McShane Creek
• McCoy Creek

File:Junction Reservoir.jpg

There are four reservoirs in Maple Creek's watershed that are owned and operated by the Agri-Environmental Service Branch. The reservoirs retain water to be released for irrigation. In order from largest to smallest, they include:

• Junction Reservoir ({{coord|49.9611|-109.5127|display=inline}}) is {{cvt|3|km}} downstream from the town of Maple Creek along the course of Maple Creek. The dam is {{cvt|8|km}} south of town. The reservoir has a surface area of {{cvt|494.2|ha}}, is {{cvt|11|m}} deep, and has a volume of {{cvt|12933|dam3}}.{{cite web |title=Junction Reservoir Fishing Map |url=https://www.gpsnauticalcharts.com/main/ca_sk_junction_reservoir_sk-junction-reservoir-nautical-chart.html |website=GPS Nautical Charts |publisher=Bist LLC. |access-date=21 February 2023}}
• Downie Lake ({{coord|49.7986|-109.6817|display=inline}}) is near Downie Creek in the Gap Creek basin. Water is diverted into the lake from both Downie and Gap Creeks and then released as needed back into Downie Creek. The lake has a {{cvt|25|km2}} drainage basin, is {{cvt|260|ha}} in size, and has a volume of {{cvt|12223|dam3}}.
• Harris Reservoir ({{coord|49.8136|-109.5028|display=inline}}) is beside Flemming Creek and water is supplied to the lake via a channel from Flemming Creek. Two channels flow out of the lake – one west to Gap Creek and one east to Flemming Creek. Harris Reservoir has a {{cvt|14|km2}} drainage basin, is {{cvt|9.5|m}} deep, has a {{cvt|131|ha}} surface area, and has a volume of {{cvt|6047|dam3}}.{{cite web |title=Harris Reservoir Fishing Map |url=https://www.gpsnauticalcharts.com/main/ca_sk_harris_reservoir_sk-harris-reservoir-nautical-chart.html |website=GPS Nautical Charts |publisher=Bist LLC. |access-date=21 February 2023}}
• McDougald Reservoir ({{coord|49.8224|-109.4451|display=inline}}) is located beside Maple Creek, south of the town of Maple Creek in the hills, and is supplied by a diversion channel. Water is released back into Maple Creek as needed. It has a drainage basin of {{cvt|2|km2}}, is {{cvt|4|m}} deep, has a surface area of {{cvt|21|ha}}, and a volume of {{cvt|931|dam3}}.

Maple Creek Grasslands (SK 041) is an Important Bird Area (IBA) of Canada along the course of Maple Creek that covers an area of {{cvt|736.56|km2}}.{{cite web |title=Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas |url=https://www.naturesask.ca/what-we-do/important-bird-areas |website=Nature Saskatchewan |publisher=Nature Saskatchewan |access-date=21 February 2023}} The IBA covers an area that includes the town of Maple Creek, Junction Reservoir, and the salt lakes of Bitter and Hay. The sandy soils in the area limit agricultural activity resulting in cattle grazing being prominent. A large portion of the site is covered by the Bigstick Lake Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration.

Birds found at the site include the ferruginous hawk, burrowing owl, great blue heron, and the long-billed curlew.{{cite web |title=Maple Creek Grasslands |url=https://www.ibacanada.ca/site.jsp?siteID=SK041 |website=IBA Canada |publisher=Birds Canada |access-date=21 February 2023}}

The northern pike is a fish commonly found in Maple Creek.{{cite web |title=Maple Creek |url=https://fishbrain.com/fishing-waters/WAVD9ldq/maple-creek |website=Fishbrain |publisher=Fishbrain |access-date=21 February 2023}}

• List of rivers of Saskatchewan
• List of protected areas of Saskatchewan
• Maple Creek crater

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Category:Rivers of Saskatchewan

Category:Important Bird Areas of Saskatchewan

Category:Big Stick No. 141, Saskatchewan

Category:Maple Creek No. 111, Saskatchewan