Moose Lake Provincial Park Management Plan

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Table of Contents 1. Introduction.................................. 3 2. Park History.................................. 4 3. Park Attributes............................. 4 3.1 Natural.......................................................... 4 3.2 Recreational.................................................. 5 3.3 Additional Features...................................... 5

4. Park Management Framework..... 7 4.1 Park Classification ........................................ 7 4.2 Park Purpose................................................ 7 4.3 Land Use Categories..................................... 7

5. Park Management Guidelines....... 8 5.1 Natural Values............................................... 8 5.2 Recreation..................................................... 8

Appendix.......................................... 9 A. Park Classification and Land Use Categories

Bibliography................................... 10

This management plan for Moose Lake Provincial Park was prepared in consultation with park users under the authority of The Provincial Parks Act. Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship Parks and Natural Areas Branch December 2012

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The process of preparing this management plan and co-ordinating the public involvement process was the responsibility of a team involving staff from Parks and Natural Areas Branch, regional staff of Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship and a consultant contracted to work on the project. Preparation of the management plan involved a number of steps.

Moose Lake Provincial Park

1. Introduction The Provincial Parks Act (1993) requires that a management plan be prepared for each provincial park. Management plans establish long-term direction for parks and address issues pertaining to resource protection, use and development of park land. The management plan for Moose Lake Provincial Park is based on its role in Manitoba’s system of parks and the participation of those who use and care about the park. The plan is to be used in conjunction with park regulations, directives, and other departmental and government policies and legislation.

The first step was to review the current operation of the park, its attributes, and its history of use. Information collected through that process was used to prepare a draft plan. The public was invited to comment on the draft plan. Involving park users was an important part of preparing the management plan. Public input was primarily collected through the Manitoba Parks website and in meetings and discussions with park users. Once the public consultation process was completed August, 2012, the plan was finalized based on planning objectives and any new information received through the consultation process. This management plan will guide the work of Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship over the next 10 to 15 years. In this context the plan will be utilized and examined on an ongoing basis. Where an update or new direction on any matters described in this management plan may be needed, a process for publicly reviewing and updating the plan should be undertaken. The Treaty and Aboriginal rights of Aboriginal peoples to pursue traditional uses and activities within Moose Lake Provincial Park are acknowledged and respected within the context of this management plan.

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2. Park History

3. Park Attributes

Moose Lake Provincial Park is comprised of the lake and its surrounding shoreline. The lake was popular for recreation, several decades before it became a park. In the 1930s a road to Moose Lake was constructed and the lake’s shoreline was surveyed by the government to explore its potential for resort development (Penziwol & Blahut, 2011). Picnic areas and a campground were developed at the lake in 1954 and a tourist camp opened in 1958. Moose Lake was designated a provincial park in 1961.

Moose Lake is located in southeastern Manitoba, approximately 150 kilometres from the city of Winnipeg. The nearest community to the park is Sprague, located 35 kilometres to the southeast. The park is situated in the Northwest Angle Provincial Forest and is 956 hectares (9.56 square kilometres) in size.

3.1 Natural Moose Lake Provincial Park is located in the Lake of the Woods sub-region of the Manitoba Lowlands Natural Region. The park encompasses all of Moose Lake plus the surrounding shore, with much of the shoreline developed for recreation purposes. The south and west shores are lined with remnants of ancient beach ridges from glacial Lake Agassiz, indicating where the edge of that lake once was tens of thousands of years ago (Penziwol & Blahut, 2011). Shoreline erosion is a concern in some areas. Moose Lake is quite shallow, with a maximum depth of 5.5 metres. The south end of the lake is aerated in order to help prevent winter-kill of fish in that area. Water level on the lake is maintained through the use of a water control structure that is operated by Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation. Moose Lake and the surrounding area mark some of the most northwesterly occurrences of several eastern Canadian tree species, including red pine, eastern white pine and white cedar. There is a two hectare site located on the east side of the lake which is particularly significant as it contains one of the best examples of an eastern white pine stand in Manitoba. Eastern white pine and red pine are both considered rare in Manitoba and they, along with jack pine, occur naturally throughout the park (Manitoba Conservation Data Centre, 2012). Paper birch, black spruce and

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trembling aspen are also typical of the mixed forest vegetation found in the area. Other plant species that are rare in Manitoba but have been found in the park include great northern aster and running-pine (Manitoba Conservation Data Centre, 2012). The Moose Lake/Holmgren Pines Proposed Ecological Reserve is located immediately south of Moose Lake Provincial Park. This area is proposed as an ecological reserve because it is the only known location in Manitoba where all three native pine species – eastern white pine, red pine and jack pine – grow together. The area in and around the park provides habitat for a variety of wildlife, such as white-tailed deer, black bear, ruffed grouse and other mammals and birds (Smith et al., 1998). The olive-sided flycatcher, a bird listed as Threatened under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (2002), is found in the park (Manitoba Conservation Data Centre, 2012). The blue-spotted salamander, a species that is uncommon in Manitoba, has also been found in the park (Manitoba Conservation Data Centre, 2012). Fish species commonly caught in Moose Lake include northern pike and perch.

3.2 Recreational Visitors to Moose Lake Provincial Park can expect a natural-looking setting where much of the land has been developed for recreational purposes. Opportunities for interaction with other park visitors are likely, particularly in the camping and cottaging areas. Swimming, boating, hiking and fishing are all popular activities in the park. Anglers have the option of fishing from the shore, from a boat or off the fishing dock, which is accessible for the disabled. In some cases, anglers stay at Moose Lake for the night but visit nearby Birch Point Provincial Park on Lake of the Woods to fish during the day.

Facilities at the park include an unsupervised beach, a campground, a playground, a basketball court, picnic areas, non-modern washrooms, a boat dock and launch, a lodge/resort, and a convenience store/restaurant. The lodge and store provide visitors with a sufficient level of commercial services within the park. The campground is open from mid-May to early September. It has nearly 100 nightly and seasonal campsites, with most being basic service and some electric service. In most years it experiences a moderate rate of occupancy and all of the seasonal sites are sold. Visitors to the campground have access to a horseshoe pitch and two volleyball courts. The park road currently passes through the campground but a plan is underway to re-route the road in order to reduce safety concerns and other impacts associated with through traffic. A trailhead located in the park leads users onto the Fern Valley Trail, which continues outside of the park boundary. In the winter, the park contains a snowmobile trail to the resort. Within Moose Lake there is a cottage subdivision in which there are 90 road-accessible leased cottage lots.

3.3 Additional Features The lodge and convenience store in the park are owned by a private operator who leases the land they are located on from Manitoba. Services offered by the operator include cabin, boat and motor rentals, as well as three seasonal campsites. A non-profit camp also operates in the park under a lease agreement. The camp is located on the west shore of the lake.

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Moose Lake Provincial Park

Park Map

BLOCK 8 LOTS 1-3 BLOCK 7 LOTS 1-3

BEACH / SWIMMING UNSUPERVISED

PUBLIC TELEPHONE

BOAT- LAUNCH

PICNIC AREA

CAMPGROUND

PICNIC SHELTER

CAMPGROUND OFFICE

PLAYGROUND

DISABLED ACCESSIBLE

REFUSE DISPOSAL

FISHING

TRAILER SANITARY STATION

FISH CLEANING AREA

WASHROOMS (NON-MODERN)

HORSESHOE PITCH

WATER SUPPLY

HWY 66 Km

PARK BOUNDARY

ION

- CANADA

BLOCK 5 LOTS 1-7

SU

TO TRANS

BD

IVIS

BLOCK 4 LOTS 1-9

BLOCK 3 LOTS 1-6 BLOCK 2 LOTS 1-7

CAMP MOOSE LAKE

BLOCK 1 LOTS 1-7

COTTAGE

SUBDIVISION

LAKE

308

AGE COTT

MOOSE

BLOCK 13 LOTS 1-12

BLOCK 15 LOTS 1-17

0

BLOCK 14 LOTS 1A -17

Volleyball

E UP

ED

S

I RV

S

PARK ENTRANCE FORESTRY TOWER TO SPRAGUE 34 Km

METRES

UN

TRAILER ELECTRICAL SITES SILVER BIRCH RESORT

E

SE

, P AIL D MA ET D D UN UN PGRO O R AM PG AM KE C R C LA FO OSE MO

7 Km TO BIRCH POINT (LAKE OF THE WOODS) BOAT LAUNCH AND PICNIC AREA

500

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4. Park Management Framework 4.1 Classification Manitoba’s provincial park system is made up of almost 100 different parks and park reserves. Each of these areas plays a role in conserving ecosystems, preserving natural, cultural or heritage resources, and providing outdoor recreation or educational experiences. Classification descriptions can be found in Appendix A. Moose Lake Provincial Park is classified as a Recreation Park. The main purpose of a recreation park, as defined in The Provincial Parks Act (1993), is to provide recreational opportunities.

4.2 Park Purpose Manitoba’s provincial park system was established to conserve ecosystems and maintain biodiversity, to preserve unique and representative natural, cultural and heritage resources, and to provide outdoor recreational and educational opportunities in a natural setting. Within this larger framework, individual parks contribute towards the overall objective of the provincial park system. A System Plan for Manitoba’s Provincial Parks (1997) states that the purpose of Moose Lake Provincial Park is to provide outdoor recreational opportunities and experiences in a natural setting in eastern Manitoba. According to that plan, the park will: • provide opportunities for camping, swimming, fishing, snowmobiling, boating and lodge facilities • provide cottaging opportunities and accommodate associated facilities and services • preserve a unique white-pine dominated stand, one of very few known to be thriving in Manitoba

4.3 Land Use Categories Land Use Categories (LUCs) identify the important attributes of broad areas within a provincial park. Land may be categorized as Wilderness, Backcountry, Resource Management, Recreational Development, Heritage or Access LUCs. LUC descriptions can be found in Appendix A. All of the land comprising Moose Lake Provincial Park has been categorized as a Recreational Development LUC. The main purpose of this categorization is to accommodate recreational development.

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5. Park Management Guidelines

5.2 Recreation

The following guidelines will direct park management actions in Moose Lake Provincial Park.

1. A mid-sized campground with basic and electric service will be provided.

5.1 Natural Values 1. The park will be maintained as a natural-looking area that is characteristic of the surrounding landscape. 2. Ecological values in undeveloped portions of the park will be maintained and these areas will remain free of development other than that necessary to meet safety or operational needs. 3. Negative impacts to known species of conservation concern, such as eastern white pine, will be minimized or avoided. 4. Park visitors will be informed of the presence and significance of the proposed Ecological Reserve located adjacent to the park to help avoid impacts to that area. 5. Recreational activities and shoreline development will be managed to help minimize shoreline erosion on Moose Lake.

2. The park road will be re-routed around the campground to minimize safety concerns and the impacts of through traffic on campground users. 3. No new cottaging areas will be developed in the park. 4. Manitoba will continue to work with the Moose Lake Cottage Owners Association on the aeration of Moose Lake for sport fishing purposes. 5. Opportunities to provide interpretive information such as trailhead signage that reflects park values will be investigated. 6. Any expansion of the commercial services offered in the park will be limited to the current commercial site. Commercial development at additional locations will not be permitted.

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Appendix A – Park Classification and Land Use Categories Park Classifications In accordance with section 7(2) of The Provincial Parks Act (1993), all provincial parks are classified as one of the following types: (a)  a wilderness park, if the main purpose of the designation is to preserve representative areas of a natural region; (b)  a natural park, if the main purpose of the designation is both to preserve areas of a natural region and to accommodate a diversity of recreational opportunities and resource uses; (c)  a recreation park, if the main purpose of the designation is to provide recreational opportunities; (d)  a heritage park, if the main purpose of the designation is to preserve an area of land containing a resource or resources of cultural or heritage value; (e)  any other type of provincial park that may be specified in the regulation.

Land Use Categories In accordance with section 7(3) of The Provincial Parks Act (1993), all provincial parks are categorized into one or more of the following land use categories: (a) a wilderness category, if the main purpose of the categorization is to protect representative or unique natural landscapes in an undisturbed state and provide recreational opportunities that depend on a pristine environment; (b)  a backcountry category, if the main purpose of the categorization is to protect examples of natural landscapes and provide basic facilities and trails for nature-oriented recreation in a largely undisturbed environment; (c)  a resource management category, if the main purpose of the categorization is to permit commercial resource development or extraction in a manner that does not compromise the main purpose of the park classification; (d)  a recreational development category, if the main purpose of the categorization is to accommodate recreational development; (e)  a heritage category, if the main purpose of the categorization is to protect a unique or representative site containing a resource or resources of cultural or heritage value; (f)  an access category, if the main purpose of the categorization is to provide a point or route of access in a provincial park or a location for a lodge and associated facilities; (g)  any other category that may be specified in the regulation.

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Bibliography Manitoba Conservation Data Centre. Personal communications. 2012. Manitoba Natural Resources. “A System Plan for Manitoba’s Provincial Parks.” 1997. Penziwol, Shelley, and Peter Blahut. “From Asessippi to Zed Lake: A guide to Manitoba’s provincial parks.” Winnipeg: Great Plains Publications. 2011. Smith, R.E., et al. “Terrestrial Ecozones, Ecoregions and Ecodistricts of Manitoba: An ecological stratification of Manitoba’s natural landscapes.” Winnipeg: Land Resource Unit, Brandon Research Centre, Research Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 1998. The Provincial Parks Act. C.C.S.M., c. P20. 1993.