Wahwashkesh Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wahwashkesh Lake |
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 Wahwashkesh Lake
Location in Ontario
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| Location | Whitestone, Parry Sound District, Ontario |
| Coordinates | 45°43′02″N 80°02′23″W / 45.71722°N 80.03972°W |
| Primary inflows | Magnetawan River, Whitestone River |
| Primary outflows | Magnetawan River |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Surface area | 17.21 km2 (6.64 sq mi) |
| Shore length1 | 106 km (66 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 224 m (735 ft) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Wahwashkesh Lake is a beautiful lake located in Whitestone, Parry Sound District, Ontario, Canada. It's the biggest lake in the Parry Sound District! This large lake covers an area of about 1,721 hectares, which is like 4,253 football fields. It also has a very long shoreline, stretching over 106 kilometers. Imagine walking all that way!
About 30% of the land around the lake is called Crown Land. This means it's owned by the government for everyone to use and enjoy. The lake has two main parts. The northern part is smaller and known as the Top Lake. The southern part is much larger and is called the Big Lake. Wahwashkesh Lake is connected to the Magnetawan River system. In spring, when snow melts, the lake levels can rise a lot. Sometimes the water goes up 3 to 4 meters above the concrete wall that controls the river's flow.
About Wahwashkesh Lake
Wahwashkesh Lake is a very important natural area. It is known for its amazing variety of fish and special plants. People who visit or live near the lake work hard to keep it healthy.
Fish and Plants
Wahwashkesh Lake is a great place for fishing! It has more than 12 different kinds of sport fish. You can find fish like Northern Pike, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, and Largemouth Bass here.
The lake is also famous for its unique plants. These plants are called Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora. They are very rare and special. In fact, Wahwashkesh Lake is one of the top five lakes in all of Ontario for these types of plants. The Natural Heritage League and the World Wildlife Fund studied these plants in 1989. They found many interesting species here.
Lake Name and History
The name Wahwashkesh comes from the Ojibwa language. The word wâwâshkeshi means 'deer'. This suggests that deer were likely common in the area around the lake long ago.
Looking After the Lake
The Lake Wah-Wash-Kesh Conservation Association helps protect the lake. This group was started in 1954. It is made up of people who own cottages and live around Lake Wahwashkesh. They work together to keep the lake healthy and beautiful.
In May 2009, the Association worked with the Ministry of Natural Resources. They put in a new station to check the water level in Bennett's Bay. This station helps them get information about the lake all the time. The Lake Wahwahskesh monitoring station collects daily information. It tells them the lake's water level, how warm the water is, the air temperature, and how much rain has fallen. This helps everyone understand and care for the lake better.
