Kwets'ootł'àà
Last updated: November 2012
Kwets'ootł'àà (kwet-sowt-laa) is an area of approximately 590 km2 of the northern portion of the north arm of Great Slave Lake and includes the mainland shoreline, numerous islands, and the water of the lake itself.
Importance of Kwets'ootł'àà
- Kwets'ootł'àà which means rock-muskeg-bay, was identified for protection by the Tłįchǫ Government.
- The area is culturally important to the Dene and Métis who have used the area for centuries for many activities including hunting and fishing.
- The area hosts several species at risk including boreal woodland caribou, wood bison, wolverine, rusty blackbird, common nighthawk, barn swallow, and short-eared owl.
- Kwets'ootł'àà is classified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) in Canada and is a key migratory bird site in the Northwest Territories with large numbers of tundra swans, Canada geese and other waterfowl using it as a staging area.
- Kwets'ootł'àà contains Canada's northernmost recorded breeding range of caspian and black terns.
- Kwets'ootł'àà is a popular area for fishing and hunting, outfitting, ecotourism, and recreation.
Status
- The Canadian Wildlife Service - Environment Canada sponsored Kwets'ootł'àà as a candidate National Wildlife Area.
- The Kwets'ootł'àà Working Group has been established, and assessments of the area's ecological, cultural and economic values are in progress.
- An application for an interim surface and subsurface land withdrawal of the area was submitted in September 2011.
Next Steps
- Finalize assessment reports.
- The Kwets'ootł'àà Working Group will continue to review the assessment information and draft a recommendations report. The report will include the recommended boundary, land administration, and management regime.
Reports
- 2012 - Kwets'ootł'àà | Documentation of North Slave Métis Culturally Important Areas - Summary (pdf)
- 2011 - Kwets'ootł'àà | Ecological Assessment Phase 2 (pdf)
- 2011 - Kwets'ootł'àà | Renewable Resources Assessment (pdf)
- 2009 - Kwets'ootł'àà | Ecological Assessment Phase 1 (pdf)
- 2009 - Kwets'ootł'àà | Cultural Assessment Phase 1 - Tłįchǫ (contact the PAS Secretariat for more information)
