Filling Loon Lake in Very Cold Weather = Problems

The rapid filling of Loon Lake in very cold weather is causing interesting things to happen! Things I have not seen here before…..

The lake is being filled quickly because the Trent Severn Waterway staff know that there isn’t much snow with a good water content. So they want to get as much water in reserve as they can.

At night, the temperature dips to almost minus 20degC causing fast freezing of the perimeter lake water. The newly formed ice expands – pushing on anything in it’s path - shoreline rock retaining walls, docks, rafts close to shore, and boathouse foundations.

This fast forming ice is over two inches thick, and is very strong. So strong in fact that tonight I saw a rock that three people couldn’t move just tilted on it’s side and pushed out of the path of the ice…

Hopefully the weather will soon get warmer or the Trent Severn Waterway staff will slow the fill rate of Loon Lake! And there won't be much damage.