Mitchell Lake is a small,

artificial Artificiality (the state of being artificial or manmade) is the state of being the product of intentional human manufacture, rather than occurring naturally through processes not involving or requiring human activity. Connotations Artificiality ...

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

in the

Great Lakes Basin The Great Lakes Basin consists of the Great Lakes and the surrounding lands of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada, whose dir ...

and located in the city of

Kawartha Lakes The City of Kawartha Lakes (2021 population 79,247) is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. It is a municipality legally structured as a single-tier city; however, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontario county and is most ...

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. The lake was formed sometime in the first decade of the twentieth century alongside the construction of the

Kirkfield Lift Lock The Kirkfield Lift Lock is a boat lift located in the city of Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada, near the village of Kirkfield. It is designated "Lock 36" of the Trent–Severn Waterway, situated at the highest section of the canal (256.2 m). It i ...

, which was completed and operational by the end of 1907. It is part of the summit of the

Trent–Severn Waterway The Trent–Severn Waterway is a canal route connecting Lake Ontario at Trenton to Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, at Port Severn. Its major natural waterways include the Trent River, Otonabee River, Kawartha Lakes, Lake Simcoe, Lake Couchiching an ...

, the middle of a connection via

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...

s of Balsam Lake on the Gull River system, which flows eventually to

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...

, and the Kirkfield Lift Lock and Canal Lake on the Talbot River system, which flows to

Lake Simcoe Lake Simcoe is a lake in southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called ''Ouentironk'' ...

and eventually to

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...

History

Prior to flooding, the Grass River (now Grass Creek) flowed through the centre of marshland above which the current lake sits in

Eldon Township The Township of Eldon was a municipality located in the west of the former Victoria County, now the city of Kawartha Lakes, in Ontario, Canada. Communities * Kirkfield *Bolsover *Glenarm *Eldon * Woodville See also *List of townships in On ...

Victoria County Victoria County is the name of several locations: In Australia: *Victoria County, Western Australia * County of Victoria, South Australia In Canada: * Victoria County, New Brunswick * Municipality of the County of Victoria and the eponymous histo ...

. It entered from the south-west, reaching Fennel Road (Kawartha Lakes Road 35) where it now crosses the Trent Canal. From here it turned west and followed the same course as the modern canal to Portage Road (formerly

Ontario Highway 48 King's Highway 48, also known as Highway 48, is a provincially maintained highway in southern Ontario that extends from Major Mackenzie Drive in Markham, through Whitchurch-Stouffville and East Gwillimbury, to Highway 12 south-east of ...

, today Kawartha Lakes Road 48). Passing under the road, it resumed a north-easterly course towards the village of Victoria Road, where it flowed as it continues to today, now controlled by a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

, westward into the Talbot River.

Modern Mitchell Lake

Like many of the lakes of the Kawarthas, Mitchell Lake enjoys use by recreational cottagers. However, most of the lake is relatively shallow (Between 3 and 6 feet deep),

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

y, and filled with partially or wholly submerged tree stumps remaining from before the flooding. As such, cottages are sparse outside of the canal zone and south eastern section of the lake. The shallow south-western section of the lake is isolated from the rest by Hartley Road, which crosses the lake by

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...

, and is only navigable by

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...

. The former path of the Grass River north of Kawartha Lakes 48 is still visible beneath the shallow and undisturbed waters of the lake.Use coordinate links to view satellite photos. Mitchell Lake suffers from man-made tides. Essentially reaching high tide for the summer months , and low tide throughout the winter. Each year on thanksgiving weekend the Trent-Severn Waterway is closed, Mitchell lake floodplain drops its water elevation 2ft, and the shoreline recedes up to 20ft. In late May the Trent-Severn Waterway opens up again and the Mitchell Lake floodplain raises its water elevation 2ft, and the shoreline expands up to 20ft. Since this floodplain used to be a forest, decaying underwater biomass raises small islands and releases dissolved methane gas into the water, acidifying the water. The southern portion exposes the ancient tree stumps during low tide. Mitchell Lake floodplain has been completely overrun by invasive Eurasian Milfoil weed (Myriophyllum spicatum). It has decimated the oxygen and natural flora of the water, and begun spreading to other lakes on the Trent-Severn Waterway via boat travel.

References

External links

Cruising Ontario - Guide to Mitchell Lake
{{City of Kawartha Lakes Lakes of Kawartha Lakes