La Saline Natural Area
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| La Saline Natural Area | |
|---|---|
 Saline Lake and salt marshes at La Saline Natural Area, seen from the edge of the tufa mound on the southeastern shore | |
  Location of La Saline Natural Area in Alberta | |
| Location | Wood Buffalo, Alberta, Canada |
| Nearest city | Fort McMurray |
| Coordinates | 57°04′51″N 111°31′24″W / 57.08083°N 111.52333°W |
| Area | 331.0 ha (818 acres) |
| Governing body | Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation |
La Saline Natural Area in the boreal forest of northeastern Alberta, Canada, preserves Saline Lake, a saline oxbow lake adjacent to the Athabasca River north of Fort McMurray. The lake is an important stop for waterfowl and other birds that migrate along the Athabasca River. Large deposits of tufa have accumulated around the salt springs on the lake's southeastern shore.
Saline Lake is the region's most productive lake for waterfowl, and birdwatching is the main recreational activity at La Saline Natural Area. Thousands of ducks, geese and other birds migrate along the Athabasca River to nesting sites on the Peace-Athabasca Delta, and Saline Lake is an important resting and feeding spot for them. Some, including American coots, mallards, American wigeons, buffleheads, and green-winged teal, nest on Saline Lake.[1] The lake is also important to migrating shore birds that feed on the Daphnia and other small invertebrates that are abundant in its saline waters during summer.[2] Mineral licks created by the salt springs attract moose, deer, and other animals to the lake.[1]
La Saline Natural Area lies within the Boreal Forest – Central Mixedwood Region of northeastern Alberta.[1] Rare hypersaline vegetation types are found on the tufa mound, and rare brackish and saline plant communities grow in the salt marshes along the lake shore.[2]