Zama Lake

58°45′N 119°05′W / 58.750°N 119.083°W / 58.750; -119.083^[1]Primary outflowsHay RiverBasin countriesCanadaMax. length35 km (22 mi)Max. width8 km (5.0 mi)Surface area55 km² (21 sq mi)Surface elevation320 m (1,050 ft)SettlementsZama City

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,^[2] 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”).^[3]

The lake is located approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) northeast of Rainbow Lake and 115 kilometres (71 mi) west northwest of High Level,^[3] at the confluence of Zama River and Hay River. The lake covers 55 km² (21 sq mi) and forms an intricate river, lakes, and wetland system. The Hay-Zama Lakes complex is a Ramsar site for its importance to spring and fall migrating ducks and geese. As many as 250,000 ducks and geese use the lakes during the fall migration.^[4]

A small hamlet, Zama City is located approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of the lake^[5] 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.^[6]