Clearwater Lakes
The Lac Wiyâshâkimî (the official name, in French, formerly Lac à l'Eau Claire, a calque of the lake's name, Wiyâšâkamî, in Northern East Cree, changed form of wâšâkamî or wâšekamî in more southerly Cree dialects), also called the Clearwater Lakes in English and Allait Qasigialingat by the Inuit, are a pair of annular lakes and possible impact craters on the Canadian Shield in Quebec, Canada, near Hudson Bay.
| Clearwater Lakes Lac Wiyâshâkimî | |
|---|---|
Clearwater Lakes as seen from a Space Shuttle (North is top right) | |
Clearwater Lakes Lac Wiyâshâkimî | |
| Location | Baie-d'Hudson, Kativik, Quebec |
| Coordinates | 56°08′N 74°18′W |
| Type | Impact crater lake |
| Primary outflows | Clearwater River |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Surface area | 1,383 km2 (534 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 178 m (584 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 241 m (791 ft) |
The lakes are actually a single body of water with a sprinkling of islands forming a "dotted line" between the eastern and western parts. Its name in Cree is due to the clear water it holds. There are actually 25 lakes with names that mean "Clearwater Lake" in the province (26 if the Petit lac à l'Eau Claire — the Small Clearwater Lake — is included). Collectively, this body of water is the largest, northernmost and the second-largest natural lake in Quebec after Lake Mistassini.
In 1896, the explorer and geologist Albert Peter Low, a member of the Geological Survey of Canada, provided a probable explanation for the lakes' descriptive Cree name by highlighting the extraordinary clarity and depth of their icy waters.