Chain Lakes Provincial Park Beach is more of a wading beach than a swimming beach and there is no marked swimming area. The area around the small, sandy/rocky beach is large and grassy with all of the amenities required for a day by the water. The location and views are very pretty. There is a boat launch and fishing from shore and boat seems the activity of choice.

Power Boating: 12 km/h speed limit.

NO TOWING allowed - water skiing, tubing and wake boarding prohibited.

The lake was created by an earthen dam near the day use area. Water levels can fluctuate over the season, and Chain Lakes is located in a very dry region of the province. Only communal fire pits are provided in the park's campground.

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History

The reservoir was named for the three Chain Lakes that nearly filled the area now covered by the reservoir. These lakes were fed by numerous springs; in winter, the ice was often so thin that buffalo crossing the lakes would break through and drown (Finlay and Finlay, 1987). Cattle grazing has been the primary use for the land since the first ranches were established in the late 1800s.

In 1957, the provincial government approached the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) to consider developing storage on Willow Creek to ensure a continuous water supply downstream, mostly to guarantee municipal supply for the towns of Claresholm and Granum (Agric. Can. 1961). In 1966, the PFRA built two dams, the south one across Willow Creek and the north one across Meinsinger Creek. By 1967, the reservoir was full.

(www.sunsite.ualberta.ca)

The description above was copied from or heavily based on Swim Guide, with permission.

More Information

• Swim Guide - Weather and water quality for Chain Lakes Provincial Park Beach and 8,000 other beaches.