Upper Rideau Lake is a freshwater lake located in the municipality of Rideau Lakes, United Counties of Leeds and Grenville in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin and is the lake with the greatest altitude within the Rideau Canal system.
Geography
The village of Westport is located at the west end of the lake. The village of Newboro is located at the South end of the lake, at the junction between the Upper Rideau Lake and Newboro Lake.
Hydrology
Upper Rideau Lake is the summit of the Rideau Canal system, with a surface elevation of 124.65 meters above sea level. Despite having the highest elevation, Upper Rideau Lake is not at the top of the watershed. Water flows north to the Rideau River, and there is no flow south to the Cataraqui River.
Inflow is from Westport Sand Lake- part of the Rideau Lake Subwatershed while outflow, through the Narrows Lock, is to the Big Rideau Lake, which eventually flows to the Saint Lawrence River via the Ottawa River.
Geology
The Rideau Lake Fault is a normal fault which exposes granite that can be observed on much of Upper Rideau Lake's northern shore.[1]
The northern half of Upper Rideau Lake is located in the Algonquin Highlands. The bedrock in the Precambrian landscape consists mostly of gneiss and marble and is covered in a very thin layer of mixed glacial sediment. The southern half of Upper Rideau Lake is located between the Algonquin Highlands and the Smiths Falls Limestone Plain. The bedrock here consists of Paleozoic quartzose sandstone, dolomite, and conglomerate covered in a variety of sediments: glacial till, silt, clay, organic deposits, and sand.[2]
History
Before the creation of the Rideau Canal (1826-1832), Upper, Big, and Lower Rideau Lakes were one lake. The original plan was to have it remain as one lake by excavating the naturally rocky shallows on the Upper Narrows. When this proved difficult and expensive, Lt. Colonel John By finalized plans to build a dam and a lock (now Narrows Lock), separating and therefore creating Upper Rideau Lake.[3]
The creation of Narrows Lock raised the water in this area by approximately 8 feet (2.5m). This flooding created some immediate changes to the land. Drowned shorelines resulted in a number of newly created marshes and many dead-standing trees.
Slack Water System
Water levels along the Rideau Canal system are monitored by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and Parks Canada. Water levels are managed for recreational purposes, allowing for adequate drafts during the navigation season and for residents with docks, boathouses, and shorefronts. In late May, water levels are at their maximum, gradually declining throughout the summer, reaching the lowest point in October then to the winter operating level. During this cycle, the range of water height is approximately 1 meter.
Recreation
Upper Rideau Lake is widely known for its bass fishing. Other water-related activities include boating, paddling, and swimming. On shore, there are golf courses, surrounding trails for hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. Waterfront accommodations are available at a variety of marinas, campgrounds, and retreats. In 2015, Newboro Lockstation recorded 5,355 vessel passages, while Narrows Lockstation reported 6,208.[4]
Foley Mountain Conservation Area
Located on Upper Rideau Lake near Westport, Foley Mountain Conservation Area features 9 km of hiking trails, the Spy Rock scenic lookout, educational programs, a discovery centre, picnic sites, and a natural swimming area.
Rideau Trail
Rideau Trail is the longest trail in eastern Ontario, stretching from Kingston to Ottawa. This hiking trail follows the Rideau Canal closely and runs along the North shore of Upper Rideau Lake.
Regulations
Fishing Regulations
Upper Rideau Lake is situated within Fisheries Management Zone 18. Licenses, open seasons, and catch limits are governed by the latest Ontario Fishing Regulations.
Canal Regulations
The Rideau Canal Lock stations operate from mid-May until mid-October each year. Lockage and mooring fees are charged based on vessel length (per foot). Information concerning operation hours, fees, and more is available at Parks Canada.
Wildlife
Fish
Rideau Lakes is renowned for its bass fishing. During the creation of the canal, drowned lands saw bass populations thrive as they took advantage of the flooded shoreline habitat.[5] In addition to the abundance of largemouth and smallmouth bass, species of fish in Upper Rideau Lake include sunfish, bluegill, rock bass, black crappie, yellow perch, northern pike, walleye, and lake trout.[6] Ministry of Natural Resources fisheries specialists have reported that the aquatic habitat is stable for warm water fish, as pH conditions are within range for a healthy environment. Fishery quotas have remained unstable, with the exception of the yellow perch quota being increased in 2013. However, it is also cited that summertime warming of the water column and oxygen depletion may be a cause of stress to certain aquatic species.
Birds, reptiles, amphibians & mammals
Upper Rideau Lake inhabits a large diversity of wildlife. Some of the most commonly observed birds include common loon, great blue heron, green heron, osprey, turkey vulture, pileated woodpecker, Canada goose, mallard duck, common merganser, hooded merganser, ring-billed gull, and trumpeter swan. The most commonly observed reptiles and amphibians are map turtle, painted turtle, snapping turtle, northern leopard frog, American bullfrog, garter snake, northern water snake, and black rat snake. The most commonly observed mammals include squirrels, chipmunks, coyotes, foxes, porcupines, skunks, beavers, otters, muskrats, mink, raccoons, and white-tailed deer.[7]
Endangered Species
Upper Rideau Lake is part of the range of a number of animals listed as species at risk. Endangered species include the loggerhead shrike and spotted turtle. Threatened species include the golden-winged warbler, least bittern, peregrine falcon, chimney swift, red-headed woodpecker, grey fox, Blanding's turtle, musk turtle, and black rat snake. Special concern species include the cerulean warbler, Louisiana waterthrush, short-eared owl, yellow rail, red-shouldered hawk, southern flying squirrel, five-lined skink, map turtle, snapping turtle, Eastern milk snake, and ribbon snake.[8]
Water Quality
The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority rated the water quality of Upper Rideau Lake as poor in their 2014 Watershed Report (data collected from 2005-2014). Contributing factors to these ratings include elevated nutrient concentrations, periods of reduced oxygen availability, clear water, and occasionally elevated pH levels. High nutrient concentrations are part of the natural aging process of a lake. In this case, aging may be accelerated due to a high runoff of nutrients from residential shoreline areas, as well as areas of drowned land resulting from the construction of the Rideau Canal. High nutrient concentrations have enabled the excessive growth of aquatic plants and algae blooms.
Westport Sewage Discharge
In April 2014, The Village of Westport dumped 24 million litres of untreated sewage into Upper Rideau Lake following a 2-3 year collapse of their sewage treatment system. With a sewage lagoon ready to burst, millions of litres were shipped away for treatment, while two emergency discharges of over 12 million litres went directly into the lake, fueling blue-green algae growth. Before 1996 the Village of Westport had no treatment plan in place and would dump untreated sewage twice annually into the lake.[9][10] In 2018, the Village of Westport completed a Large SubSurface Disposal System (LSSDS) costing roughly $3,000,000 to treat the sewage. As of March 2019, there have been no discharges for the past 12 months.[11]
Blue-Green algae concerns
In August 2014, toxins were confirmed to be present in blue-green algae blooms. Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit issued a public health notice warning not to drink the lake water, or allow pets or livestock to do so.[12] This outbreak can be attributed to the sewage dump, erosion, high spring runoff, and zebra mussel population among other causes.[13] Blue-green algae blooms, although not always toxic, are a recurring issue for inhabitants of Upper Rideau Lake.
Sustainability
Plans for the management, protection, and sustainability of the Rideau Canal, including Upper Rideau Lake, are:
Organizations that serve to ensure the long-term wellness of the lake are:
- Upper Rideau Lake Association (founded 1989). This non-profit organization focuses primarily on water quality and improving the lake environment.
- Friends of the Rideau (founded 2009). A non-profit organization working to promote enjoyment of the Rideau Canal, and to preserve its natural culture and heritage.
Solar Farm
North Burgess Solar Project, owned by Northland Power, is located North of Upper Rideau Lake on Highway 14. This green energy facility is a 10 MW ground-mounted photovoltaic solar project operating 40,000-50,000 solar panels and 30 DC to AC inverters. It is estimated to power approximately 2,000 Ontario homes.[14]
