November 10, 2007
Several organizations have joined forces to create a navigational chart of Lake Temiskaming, which runs along the Ontario Quebec border, connecting to the Ottawa River.
“Lots (of boats) don’t want to travel Lake Temiskaming because it’s not charted,” says John Medendorp, Hydrographer for the project. With the lake being charted, boaters can now plan to travel though the lake, knowing what hazards lie below.
The 100 kilometre lake had about 1,200 kilometres of waterway to be mapped at a cost of over half a million dollars and after several unsuccessful attempts to fund the mapping project in the 90’s the dream became a reality through the partnership with the Canadian Hydrographic Service, five municipalities of Témiscamingue/Temiskaming (Ville Marie, Notre Dame du Nord, Hailebury and New Liskeard), FedNor working with the South Temiskaming Community Futures Development Corporations in Ontario, and le Développement Economique du Canada working with la Société d’aide au développement des collectivités du Témiscamingue en Quebec.
The resulting map is waterproof and bilingual, showing the depths of the lake’s floor, and locations of underwater obstacles. This information, along with sailing directions that were created for the Rideau Canal and the Ottawa River publication, will help those navigating the lake make safe routes, and ideally increase the marine traffic.
The sailing directions are detailed narratives of what might be encountered by boaters navigating the lake. Rocks, conspicuous objects and information on services and points of interest that boaters can find in the towns along the shores of the lake are included.
The lake was charted mainly using a multi-beam, three-dimensional sounding system, with aid of a single-beam system for shoals (shallower areas) and small gaps from the multi-beam system. In the process of charting the lake, a unique deep circular depression was discovered, along with an underwater slide (probably due to earthquakes) in another area, and a deep underwater canyon.
This project has become known as a very successful cross-border initiative; the partnerships that have formed are priceless, and now the mayors around the Lake are willing to cooperate on future initiatives.