Black Donald Lake
Black Donald Lake is a reservoir lake in the Township of Greater Madawaska, Renfrew County and the Township of North Frontenac, Frontenac County in Eastern Ontario, Canada.[1][2] It is on the Madawaska River and is part of the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin.
The major inflow, at the west, is the Madawaska River, which arrives directly from Centennial Lake at the same elevation as Black Donald Lake. Secondary inflows are Black Donald Creek and Little Black Donald Creek at the centre north. The major outflow is also the Madawaska River, which flows over the dam at the Ontario Power Generation Mountain Chute Generating Station (hydroelectric)[3] to Norcan Lake at the southeast. The Madawaska River then flows via the Ottawa River to the Saint Lawrence River and thence to the Atlantic Ocean.
The settlement of Black Donald[4] is on the southeast shore of the lake. From the outflow of the lake almost to the major inflow of the Madawaska River from Centennial Lake, Black Donald Lake forms the boundary between Greater Madawaska, Renfrew County and North Frontenac, Frontenac County.
History
Black Donald Lake and Centennial Lake adjacent upstream were created by the construction of the Mountain Chute Generating Station and dam and an associated embankment dam in 1965–1966.[5] Black Donald Lake subsumed the previous White Fish Lake and drowned the former mining community of Black Donald Mines, whose graphite mine by then had been exhausted. The reservoir took six months to fill and flooded 8,500 acres (3,440 ha).[6]
The lake is primarily used for recreation, tourism and cottages.[5]
Gallery
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Mountain Chute Dam and Generating Station -
Mountain Chute Dam with spillway sluice gates open -
Associated embankment dam nearby
References
- ^ "Black Donald Lake". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
- ^ "Black Donald Lake". Atlas of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. 2010-02-04. Retrieved 2011-10-14. Shows the area of the lake highlighted on a map.
- ^ "Mountain Chute Station". Hydro - Ottawa/St. Lawrence Group. Ontario Power Generation. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
- ^ "Black Donald". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
- ^ a b Graham, Bill (2011-10-14). "A river flows by us". History: The Madawaska River. Township of Greater Madawaska. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
- ^ Graham, Bill (2011-10-14). "Black Donald Mines". History: Black Donald. Township of Greater Madawaska. Retrieved 2011-10-14.
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