Maps, Reports and Data
Location
Lake Waseosa is identified as a small inland cold-water lake located approximately three miles west of Highway 11 within the boundaries, and under the jurisdiction of, the Town of Huntsville in the District of Muskoka. It is approximately 7 miles (11 km) north of the business district of the Town and is in the Ward of Chaffey, a former municipal township in the District of Muskoka and presently a Ward of the Town.
Lake Waseosa is the largest of the five lakes[1] in its immediate area and mapped in greater detail in Appendix A.
Maps of Lakes
Lake Waseosa - Maps A1, A2 and A3
Ripple Lake - Maps A4 and A5
Palette Lake - Maps A6 and A7
Jessop Lake - Maps A8 and A9
Steep Slopes - Map A10
Historic Map (1879) - Map A11
The four lakes referred to above, other than Lake Waseosa, are located in the same general area of Lake Waseosa and generally surround Lake Waseosa. They are considerably smaller in size, however they have similar general characteristics as Lake Waseosa. Jessop (Jingo) Lake drains into Lake Waseosa by way of a small non-navigable stream through a marsh at its southern end. Clark Lake also drains into Lake Waseosa through a small non-navigable stream through a marsh at its western end.
Lake Waseosa drains into Ripple Lake through a small non-navigable stream that is manually controlled by means of a dam. Palette Lake drains into Ripple Lake through a small non-navigable stream which then flows into the Little East River and eventually on towards Arrowhead Lake.
More data is available from the Town and the District for Lake Waseosa than is available for the other lakes. Ripple and Palette Lakes are generally not covered by the District of Muskoka in connection with water quality, although some information is available through Secchi Disk Testing. This is periodically carried out by lake residents and submitted to the Ministry of the Environment Water Testing Program in Dorset, Ontario.
Ministry of Natural Resources Data of the Above Lakes
The older black-and-white maps, which were prepared in 1971 for fisheries management purposes, show only the following in detail:
a) surface areas
b) maximum depths
c) mean depths
d) perimeters
e) the various depths from shorelines to the center of the lakes
|
Lakes
|
Surface Area |
Maximum Depth |
Mean Depth |
Wetland Area |
|
Waseosa |
1.567 km2 |
63'/19.2 m |
21.4'/6.5 m |
15% |
|
Ripple |
0.195 km2 |
34'/10.3m |
21'/6.4m |
-- |
|
Palette |
0.162 km2 |
30'/9.1m |
20'/6.1m |
-- |
|
Jessop |
0.259 km2 |
11'/3.3m |
10'/3.0m |
30% |
|
Clark* |
0.27 km2 |
16.4'/ 5 m |
9.8'/3 m |
20% |
* Included here only because it is in the immediate watershed.
Land Use Descriptions
Residential
Natural sources and the natural environment affect water quality. But in addition, the number of people living in a lake's watershed and the number using the lake for personal and recreational purposes will also affect water quality and, more generally, the quality of life on the lakes. When seasonal dwellings are converted to permanent or year-round recreational occupancies, or existing dwellings are expanded to accommodate more residents, lake use will increase which naturally puts the lakes at additional risk from, for example, phosphorus runoff from septic systems.
Since the current land use of the lakes is, with one exception (a children's camp), residential in nature, this type of conversion from seasonal to permanent can have a direct stressful effect on the water quality of all the lakes because of their inter-connection.
The surrounding lands are primarily forested rural lands with many residential properties located on a number of town and private roads leading to the lakes above referred to. A substantial amount of land located in the rural parts of the area and on Lake Waseosa is presently undeveloped due to the zoning by-laws of the Town of Huntsville although there have been more recent residential developments on the North and East Lake Waseosa Roads which lead primarily to Lake Waseosa and on the other roads which lead to the smaller lakes.
There have also been a number of recent re-developments and upgrades by owners of properties from seasonal to increased seasonal and permanent year round full time use. There are no municipal sewer and water services and, as a result, all residences are serviced by private septic tank and tile bed installations. Water for residential purposes is obtained either directly from the lake or from dug or drilled wells.
Vacant Residential
In addition to the developed lots, there are a number of undeveloped lots on each of the four lakes. Currently, each of these can be developed without any special permission from the Town other than normal site plans and building permits. Of course, as these are developed, they will place additional stresses on the lakes.
Commercial
Camp Huronda, on Lake Waseosa, is the only commercial operation on any of the four lakes. The camp is home to hundreds of residents during the crucial summer months and is planning on increasing this number considerably over the next few years to ease their long waiting lists.
Public Access
There are a number of unopened road allowances leading to these lakes, but to date only one site on the west side of Waseosa has been developed into a public access point. It is frequently used by area back-lot residents living west of Waseosa, but it is a 45 minute drive by road for residents living east of Waseosa.
Property Code Descriptions, Reports and Data
The following table is a summary of documentation received from the records of the Town of Huntsville and shows the various categories of the lands surrounding the lakes (e.g. vacant residential/recreational land on water, road allowances and the number of residential properties on water).
|
Lakes
|
Vacant Residential Recreation Land on Water |
Single Family Detached on Water |
Country Inns and Small Inns |
|
Waseosa |
15 |
124 |
1 (summer camp) |
|
Ripple |
5 |
25 |
-- |
|
Palette |
3** |
38*** |
-- |
|
Jessop |
8 |
14 |
-- |
|
Clark* |
5 |
20 |
2 (campgrounds) |
* Included here only because it is in the immediate watershed.
** Does not include 6 vacant lots within cluster developments.
*** Does not include 6 developed lots within cluster developments.
[1] Although Clark Lake is not covered by this lake plan, we have included it in much of the discussion of the physical characteristics of the lakes because it flows into Lake Waseosa, and, therefore, has the potential of contributing to the vulnerability of that lake.