Grand Lake (Newfoundland and Labrador) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grand Lake |
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 Grand Lake
Location in Newfoundland
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| Location | Newfoundland, Canada |
| Coordinates | 48°54′43″N 57°30′05″W / 48.91194°N 57.50139°W |
| Type | Natural Lake, Reservoir |
| Native name | Wli'Qospem (Mi'kmaq) Error {{native name checker}}: parameter value is malformed (help) |
| Primary inflows | Sandy Lake, Hinds Brook, Red Indian Brook, Lewaseechjeech Brook |
| Primary outflows | Humber Canal (Man Made), Junction Brook (Dammed) |
| Catchment area | 5,030 km2 (1,940 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 100 km (62 mi) |
| Max. width | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
| Surface area | 543 km2 (210 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | ca. 300 m (980 ft) |
| Shore length1 | 283 km (176 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 87 m (285 ft) |
| Islands | Glover Island |
| Settlements | Howley, NL |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Grand Lake is a really big lake located in the middle of Newfoundland, which is an island in Canada. It's so big that it's the largest lake on the entire island! Grand Lake covers an area of about 543 square kilometers (210 square miles). Inside Grand Lake, you'll find Glover Island, which is one of the biggest islands found within a lake anywhere in the world.
How Grand Lake Grew
In 1924, something big happened to Grand Lake! Workers built a dam called the Main Dam on a stream called Junction Brook. This made the lake about 11 meters (36 feet) deeper than it was before.
Because the water level rose, Grand Lake joined up with two other lakes, Sandy Lake and Birchy Lake. It also covered several smaller ponds and rivers, like the Sandy Lake River. This is how Grand Lake became even larger!
Where is Grand Lake?
Grand Lake is found on the west side of Newfoundland. It's about 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of the city of Corner Brook.
The lake's water level changes throughout the year. It's highest in the spring when snow melts, and lowest just before the spring melt begins. Many small streams and brooks flow into Grand Lake. The water then flows out through a 12-kilometer (7.5-mile) long canal called the Humber Canal. This canal leads to Deer Lake, and then the water continues into the Humber River, which finally reaches the Bay of Islands.
The lake is also home to Glover Island, which is a large island covering about 178 square kilometers (69 square miles). No one lives on Glover Island. Grand Lake, along with Sandy and Birchy lakes, forms a great waterway that many people enjoy using for boating.
How Grand Lake is Used
Grand Lake is very important because it acts like a giant water tank, or a reservoir. The water from the lake is used to create electricity at a power station in Deer Lake. This electricity is then sent to a factory in Corner Brook that makes paper from wood pulp. So, Grand Lake helps power a big industry in the area!
