James Lake (Ontario) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids James Lake |
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Southwestern shore of James Lake viewed from Northland Pyrite Mine.
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 James Lake
Location in Ontario
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| Location | Temagami, Ontario |
| Coordinates | 47°10′43.71″N 79°44′14.60″W / 47.1788083°N 79.7373889°W |
| Type | natural freshwater lake with acidic water in part of it |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 2.25 kilometres (1.40 mi) |
| Max. width | 0.36 kilometres (0.22 mi) |
| Islands | various islands and islets |
James Lake is a natural lake located in northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is part of the beautiful Temagami region. You can easily find James Lake right along Highway 11.
James Lake: A Look at Its Past
The history of James Lake shows how nature and human activities can change a place. In the early 1900s, the lake's water levels went up and down quite a bit.
Changing Water Levels
At first, beavers might have caused these changes. Beavers are amazing builders. They often construct dams in rivers and streams. If beavers built dams in the lake's outlet, it could have made the water levels rise.
Mining and the Environment
However, the water level changes stopped around 1906. This was when the Northland Pyrite Mine started operating. This mine was located on the southwestern shore of James Lake.
The mining operations involved dumping waste rock into the lake. Over time, this waste rock broke down. It caused the water near the waste pile to become acidic. This meant the water was no longer healthy for many plants and animals. As a result, some living things in that part of the lake disappeared.
