Zama Lake

{{Short description|Lake in Mackenzie County, Alberta, Canada}}

{{For|other uses of this word|Zama (disambiguation)}}

{{use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

{{Infobox body of water

| name = Zama Lake

| image =

| caption =

| image_bathymetry =

| caption_bathymetry =

| location = Mackenzie County, Alberta

| coords = {{coord|58|45|N|119|05|W|type:waterbody_region:CA-AB|display=inline,title|notes={{cite cgndb|IAACO|Zama Lake}}}}

| type =

| inflow =

| outflow = Hay River

| catchment =

| basin_countries = Canada

| length = {{convert|35|km|mi|abbr=on}}

| width = {{convert|8|km|mi|abbr=on}}

| area = {{convert|55|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}

| depth =

| max-depth =

| volume =

| residence_time =

| shore =

| elevation = {{convert|320|m|ft|abbr=on}}

| islands =

| cities = Zama City

| pushpin_map = Canada Alberta

| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Zama Lake in Alberta

}}

Zama Lake is a large lake in Mackenzie County, in north-western Alberta, Canada.

Major Ernest Wilson Hubbell, Chief Inspector of the Dominion Land Survey,{{cite book |last=Greene |first=B.M. |title=Who's Who and Why |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qPc0AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1213 |year=1912 |publisher=International Press |location=Ottawa |page=1213 |chapter=Hubbell, Major Ernest Wilson}} recorded the name "Zammah River" in his field notes as the transliteration of the name of a Slavey Chief (Slavey Indians are now known as the Dene Tha' First Nation). The Geographic Board of Canada recorded the name "Zama River" on 4 July 1922 without explanation for the spelling change. The lake seems to be named in the same fashion and was named on 6 November 1944. The Dene Tha' do not use the name "Zama Lake", but use names in the Slavey language to identify the lake; some use K’ah Woti Túé (“Main Blind Lake” referring to a hunting blind) and others use Tulonh Mieh (“Where the Water Ends”).{{cite web |first=Ron |last=Kelland |title=Zama |website=RETROactive |publisher=Historic Resources Management Branch of Alberta Culture, Multiculturalism, and Status of Women |date=21 August 2012 |url=https://albertashistoricplaces.com/2012/08/21/zama/}}

The lake is located approximately {{convert|25|km|mi}} northeast of Rainbow Lake and {{convert|115|km|mi}} west northwest of High Level, at the confluence of Zama River and Hay River. The lake covers {{convert|55|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} and forms an intricate river, lakes, and wetland system. The Hay-Zama Lakes complex is a Ramsar site that is important for spring and fall migrating ducks and geese. As many as 250,000 ducks and geese use the lakes during the fall migration.{{Cite web

|url=http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/nature/whp/ramsar/df02s12.en.html

|title=Hay-Zama Lakes - Ramsar Site

|publisher=Environment Canada

|access-date= 2007-09-03}}

A small hamlet, Zama City is located approximately {{convert|50|km|mi}} north of the lake[http://www.zamacity.ca/ Zama City.ca] and the unincorporated community of Chateh in the Hay Lake 209 Indian reserve of the Dene Tha' First Nation is also located south of the lake.{{cite web |title=First Nation Detail |date=2019-04-09 |website=Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada |publisher=Government of Canada |url=https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/fnp/Main/Search/FNMain.aspx?BAND_NUMBER=448&lang=eng}}