Sandy Lake
- Lake name:
- Sandy Lake
- Location:
- Alberta
- HydroLAKE ID:
- 604
- Latitude:
- 53.7875
- Longitude:
- -114.041389
- Surface area (km2):
- 483.5
- Basin type:
- non-reservoir
- Primary vegetation for nesting:
- bulrush
- Management agency:
- Sturgeon County; Province of Alberta
- Lake use:
- recreation
- Region associations:
- Sandy Lake Wilderness Area
- Comments:
- There are many Stony Lakes in Alberta. This is the one near Calahoo in the Stony Point Study Area. It is shallow and highly developed. Water levels were declining in the early 1990s.
Summary of Surveys (6)
Survey Citation:
COSEWIC. 2014. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. 55 pp. www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default_e.cfm
-
Type
shore; boat; air -
Time period
1991, 2011 -
Source
Report -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 101 to 500 | 150 | 1991-2011 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | ? | 2011 |
| Max Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
From Table A.2, maximum counts of breeding Western grebes from surveys mostly conducted during nesting season from June and July from 1991 to 2011 (sourced from Wilson, A. and Smith, P.A. 2013. Distribution and population status of Western Grebes in Canada. Unpublished report for the Canadian Wildlife Service). No break out of data per year or other details.
Survey Citation:
Erickson, M. E. 2010. Persistence and abundance of the western grebe in Alberta. Dissertation. University of Alberta. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Same lakes and abundance estimated were checked against Erickson, M. E., C. Found-Jackson, and M. S. Boyce. 2017. Habitat associations with counts of declining western grebes in Alberta, Canada. Avian Conservation and Ecology. 12(1):12. Appendix to Erickson et al 2014 is unavailable but presumed to be the same list of lakes and abundance estimates.
-
Type
shore -
Time period
26 May 2008, 4 August 2008 -
Source
Dissertation -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 101 to 500 | 150 | 2002 |
| Most Recent Adults | 0 | 0 | 2008 |
| Max Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
From Table B.1 and Table C.1, survey methods and dates for 2008 field season, and latest abundance estimate from 2008, compared to maximum abundance estimate. Source of maximum abundance estimate is historical data from Wildlife Status Reports (WSR) #60. I didn't include maximum abundance estimate as part of the survey date for Erickson's surveys.
Survey Citation:
Wollis, H., and C. Stratmoen. 2010. Population study of western grebes in Alberta 2001-2009: Implications for management and status designation. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Species at Risk Report No. 138. Edmonton, AB. 18 pp.
-
Time period
2002, 2003 -
Source
Report -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 101 to 500 | 150 | 2002 |
| Most Recent Adults | 0 | 0 | 2003 |
| Max Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
This report is a continuation of a western grebe monitoring project started in 2001 to survey colonies in Alberta and assess population trends and distribution. Known and new colonies were searched for each year through 2009. This entry is from Table 2 comparing most recent estimate of # adults with highest estimate year.
Survey Citation:
Berg, G., L. Wilkinson, H. Wollis, and D. Prescott. 2004. Western (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Eared (Podiceps nigricollis) grebes of central Alberta: 2004 field summary. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Species at Risk Report No. 94. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
-
Type
boat -
Time period
2004 -
Source
Report -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 1 to 100 | presence | 2002 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | 9 | 2004 |
| Max Nests | 0 | 0 | 2004 |
| Most Recent Nests | 0 | 0 | 2004 |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
Fourth year of monitoring population trends and reproductive success of western grebes in the Stony Plain, Alberta area and the first year for Parkland Region lakes. Ground nest surveys after "abandonment" were used to estimate total breeding adult populations. Boat surveys and/or shoreline surveys were conducted between June 16 and July 16, 2004 to monitor major colonies Hanus et al. (2002a, b) identified. Entered Table 1 with the addition of adult estimates by multiplying # of nests by 2. Western grebes were observed in 2002 (no number provided), but absent in 2003, and 9 counted in 2004 but no evidence of breeding continued (does not detail span of years).
Survey Citation:
Hanus, S., L. Wilkinson, and H. Wollis. 2002. Western (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Eared (Podiceps nigricollis) grebes of Central Alberta: 2002 field season summary. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Species at Risk Report Number 60. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
-
Type
boat -
Time period
5 July 2002 -
Source
Report -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 101 to 500 | 150 +/- | 2002 |
| Most Recent Adults | 101 to 500 | 150 +/- | 2002 |
| Max Nests | 0 | 0 | 2002 |
| Most Recent Nests | 0 | 0 | 2002 |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
New population of grebes as of 2002 and breeding is possible but was not confirmed and no colony was found. According to a resident though, grebes started to inhabit the lake in 1999 (T. Trusz pers. comm. 2002). Some possible reasons for increased presence of grebes include the reduction of fishing and boating activity over the last few years (from 2002), the decline in the top predator fish and therefore increase in prey fish, and the presence of quality nesting habitat due to is proximity to Indian Reserve.
Survey Citation:
Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2021. Management Plan for the western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) in Canada [Proposed]. Species at Risk Act Management Plan Series. Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa. 5 iv + 52 pp.
-
Time period
2002, 2015 -
Source
Management plan -
Both Western and Clarks?
N
| Count Type | Range | Max | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Adults | 101 to 500 | 150 | 2002 |
| Most Recent Adults | 1 to 100 | 3 | 2015 |
| Max Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Nests | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Most Recent Chicks | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Comments:
From Appendix B, data columns are historical high count, high count since 2000, and most recent count. Since minimum count was not stated, I entered the minimum from these columns though it might not be the actual minimum across the span of years reported. Also, there is no detail on years that were excluded from surveying so range of survey years may be inaccurate. Footnote for this lake indicates that for 2015 to 2016, no breeding was confirmed but lake was occupied by Western grebes. Sources are Prescott et al., 2018 and Alberta Environment and Parks, 2018.
Sources of Information
- Messager, M. L., B. Lehner, G. Grill, I. Nedeva, and O. Schmitt. 2016. Estimating the volume and age of water stored in global lakes using a geo-statistical approach. Nature Communications 7:13603. Data is available at www.hydrosheds.org.; Hanus, S., L. Wilkinson, AND H. Wollis. 2002. Western (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Eared (Podiceps nigricollis) Grebes of Central Alberta: 2002 Field Season Summary. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Species at Risk Report Number 60. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
- Hanus, S., L. Wilkinson, AND H. Wollis. 2002. Western (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Eared (Podiceps nigricollis) Grebes of Central Alberta: 2002 Field Season Summary. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Species at Risk Report Number 60. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
- Sandy Lake Wilderness Area
- Sandy Lake Lakewatch Report 2006