North Goose Lake 



Climatic setting. The net annual precipitation balance for Goose 

 Lake derived from the MAPS database is -21 inches, toward the less 

 evaporative end for sites in this class. Based on analyses of 

 evaporation pan data and the hydrologic behavior of Brush Lake, 

 this is a considerable underestimate of the regional water deficit, 

 and points out the need to view the MAPS estimates only as relative 

 indicators of net site precipitation. Mean monthly precipitation 

 for the Grenora climatic station shows a pronounced summertime 

 maximum centered in June. Recent annual totals for the Grenora 

 station are fragmentary. Annual totals for the Medicine Lake 

 station show apparent periodicity with a 5 to 7 year cycle. 

 Throughout the 1980s, the 3-year running average remained below 

 (often well below) the long-term average, recovering in the early 

 1990s. In 1993 (the year before sampling) precipitation exceeded 

 the long-term average by more than 1 inch. 



Geologic setting. Goose Lake occupies an irregular linear 

 depression in the late Pleistocene-aged glacial outwash gravel 

 forming the Clear Lake aquifer. The 5-foot isopach of outwash 

 gravel thickness transects the lake; the southern portion is 

 underlain by a thicker section of outwash, while the thickness of 

 sand and gravel under the northern part of the lake, including the 

 distinct basin known as North Goose Lake, is thin (less than 5 

 feet). Till and other glacial sediments underlie surfaces outside 

 the lateral extent of the outwash gravels. Surficial glacial 

 materials are underlain by the Fort Union Formation of early 

 Tertiary (Paleocene) age. North Goose Lake lies within the 

 Williston Basin, a structural feature supporting important 

 petroleum and natural gas production. There are producing wells 

 within the immediate vicinity. 



Hydrologic type. North Goose Lake is a glacial depression lacking 

 significant surface water inflow and lacking surface water outflow 

 under present conditions. The lake is primarily dependent on 

 ground-water inflow; highly saline lake chemistry implies that 

 ground-water outflow is limited. 



Basin characteristics. North Goose Lake is an elongated basin 

 separated from Goose Lake by a low, narrow divide which may be 

 inundated under high-water conditions. The surface catchment of 

 North Goose Lake is minimal, providing one of the lowest catchment 

 to wetland area ratios of the data set. No data on lake depth are 

 available, but most highly saline lakes in the area are relatively 

 shallow. 



Water chemistry. At the time of sampling. North Goose Lake 

 contained hypersaline, highly alkaline sodic brine with roughly 

 equal equivalent concentrations of sulfate and C02 species and a 

 comparatively high chloride concentration. Calcium and magnesium 

 concentrations are very low (less than 1% of the total cation 

 concentration in meq/1). Mineral equilibria indicate substantial 



