Lac McArthur (Val-des-Monts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lac McArthur |
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| McArthur Lake | |
 Lac McArthur
Location in Quebec
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| Location | Val-des-Monts, Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais, Quebec, Canada |
| Coordinates | 45°42′29″N 75°40′13″W / 45.7080555°N 75.6702778°W |
Lac McArthur (also known as McArthur Lake) is a beautiful lake located in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. It's found not far north of the city of Ottawa.
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Where is Lac McArthur?
Lac McArthur is located in Val-des-Monts. This area is part of Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais in Quebec. You can find its exact spot using these coordinates: 45°42′29″N 75°40′13″W / 45.7080555°N 75.6702778°W.
The lake gets its water from the Rivière Blanche, which flows from Lac Saint-Pierre. The water from Lac McArthur then flows into another lake called Lac Grand, which is to the southeast. The lake sits about 163 meters (535 feet) above sea level.
There is a group called the Federation of Lakes of Val-Des-Monts. The local lake association for Lac McArthur is a member of this group. They are volunteers who work hard to protect the water quality in the region.
In 1990, a company called Air Wapus Enr. was given permission to operate a small plane service from Lac McArthur. This service ran from May 15 to October 15 each year. It offered domestic air charter flights, which means flights within Canada.
How Clean is Lac McArthur's Water?
Scientists checked the water quality of Lac McArthur in the middle of June, July, and August of 2015. They measured different things to understand how healthy the lake was.
Phosphorus Levels
One important thing they measured was phosphorus. Phosphorus is a nutrient that can cause too much algae to grow in a lake. The average amount of phosphorus in Lac McArthur was very low, about 4.4 micrograms per liter. This low level means the lake is considered oligotrophic. This is a scientific word that means the lake has very few nutrients and is very clean.
Algae and Organic Matter
The average amount of chlorophyll in the lake was also low, about 1.50 micrograms per liter. Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in plants and algae. A low amount of chlorophyll means there isn't much microscopic algae floating in the water. This confirms that the lake is indeed oligotrophic, or very clean.
Scientists also measured the amount of dissolved organic carbon. This is a measure of how much plant and animal material is dissolved in the water. In Lac McArthur, the average concentration was relatively low, at 2.98 milligrams per liter.
It's good news that Lac McArthur was not on the list of lakes affected by cyanobacteria blooms between 2004 and 2014. Cyanobacteria are also known as blue-green algae. These blooms can sometimes make water unsafe for swimming or drinking.
