Twin Lakes (Temagami) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Twin Lakes |
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 Twin Lakes
Location in Ontario
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| Location | Temagami, Nipissing District, Ontario |
| Coordinates | 46°59′42″N 79°44′18″W / 46.99500°N 79.73833°W |
| Part of | Ottawa River drainage basin |
| Primary outflows | Unnamed creek |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Surface elevation | 320 m (1,050 ft) |
The Twin Lakes are two beautiful lakes in Nipissing District, Ontario, Canada. They are connected by a small channel. These lakes are about 6 kilometers (4 miles) southeast of the village of Temagami. People call them Upper Twin Lake and Lower Twin Lake.
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Exploring the Twin Lakes
Upper Twin Lake is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) long. It is also around 2.3 kilometers (1.4 miles) wide. Lower Twin Lake is smaller, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) long and 0.8 kilometers (0.5 miles) wide. Both lakes are about 320 meters (1,050 feet) above sea level.
Water Flow and Connections
The main way water leaves the Twin Lakes is through a small, unnamed creek. This creek flows from the southwestern part of Lower Twin Lake. The water then travels through Rabbit Creek and Rabbit Lake. Finally, it joins the Matabitchuan River.
This river then flows into Lake Timiskaming and the Ottawa River. All this water eventually reaches the mighty Saint Lawrence River.
Island in the Lakes
There is only one island in the Twin Lakes that has a name. It is called Monshan Island. You can find Monshan Island in Lower Twin Lake.
Getting Around the Lakes
A major railway line runs right next to the Twin Lakes. This is the Ontario Northland Railway mainline. It goes along the entire western side of Lower Twin Lake. It also follows the southeastern side of Upper Twin Lake.
The railway even crosses the narrow part between the two lakes. It uses a bridge to get from one side to the other. There is a railway stop called Doherty at the southwestern corner of Lower Twin Lake.
Interesting Rocks and Minerals
Near Upper Twin Lake, there is an old railway area. Here, you can find a special kind of rock formation. It is a 10-centimeter (4-inch) wide calcite-quartz vein. A vein is like a crack in a rock filled with different minerals.
What Minerals Are Found Here?
This vein contains small amounts of other minerals. These include pyrite (also known as "fool's gold"), arsenopyrite, and smaltite. This spot is known as the Upper Twin Lake Occurrence. The minerals are found in a type of rock called diabase.
This diabase rock is part of a larger rock structure called a Nipissing sill. It is located just north of where it touches other rocks. These other rocks are pebbly greywackes and conglomerates. These rocks belong to the Coleman Member of the Gowganda Formation.
Tracing the Vein
The mineral vein runs in a southeast direction. You can follow it for about 2 to 3 meters (7 to 10 feet). Scientists have taken samples from this vein. They found small amounts of silver and copper. They also found tiny traces of valuable metals like platinum and palladium.
