43°17′24″N 79°50′06″W / 43.2900°N 79.8350°W / 43.2900; -79.8350
82-523: Hamilton Harbour (formerly known as Burlington Bay ) lies on the western tip of Lake Ontario , bounded on the northwest by the City of Burlington , on the south by the City of Hamilton , and on the east by Hamilton Beach (south of the Burlington Bay James N. Allan Skyway ) and Burlington Beach (north of the channel). It is joined to Cootes Paradise by a narrow channel formerly excavated for
164-768: A French spelling of the Mohawk Katarokwi . The lake was a border between the Huron people and the Iroquois Confederacy in the pre-Columbian era . In the 17th century, the Iroquois drove out the Huron from southern Ontario and settled the northern shores of Lake Ontario . When the Iroquois withdrew and the Anishnabeg / Ojibwa / Mississaugas moved in from the north to southern Ontario, they retained
246-403: A concerted set of interventions that are targeted at the aforementioned Areas of Concern. Because each waterway has a unique set of characteristics that have contributed to its ecological impairment, a Remedial Action Plan has been developed to identify the causes of impairment which will be used to guide local actions that will restore the individual waterways. The goal of each Remedial Action Plan
328-482: A large snake-like creature. A diver drowned in the bay during the filming of a low-budget horror film titled Marina Monster on August 21, 2005. 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 spans
410-480: A number of railways cross Hamilton Harbour on a glacial sandbar (similar in formation to the present day beach strip to the east) and separates Cootes Paradise from Hamilton Harbour. The harbour also houses the Port of Hamilton which is the busiest Canadian Great Lakes port and handles in excess of 10 million tonnes of cargo per year. The bay is thought by some to host a North American cryptid , described by witnesses as
492-488: A place of recreation. An area of concern must have at least "one beneficial use impairment which means that it has undergone a change in its chemical, physical, or biological integrity of a water body." These include: The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada more specifically defines Areas of Concern as "geographic areas that fail to meet the general or specific objectives of
574-465: A significant number of lagoons and sheltered harbors, mostly near (but not limited to) Prince Edward County, Ontario , and the easternmost shores. Perhaps the best-known example is Toronto Bay , chosen as the site of the Upper Canada capital for its strategic harbor. Other prominent examples include Hamilton Harbour , Irondequoit Bay , Presqu'ile Bay , and Sodus Bay . The bars themselves are
656-639: Is 53 statute miles (85 km; 46 nmi). The lake's average depth is 47 fathoms 1 foot (283 ft; 86 m), with a maximum depth of 133 fathoms 4 feet (802 ft; 244 m). The lake's primary source is the Niagara River, draining Lake Erie, with the Saint Lawrence River serving as the outlet. The drainage basin covers 24,720 square miles (64,030 km ). As with all the Great Lakes, water levels change both within
738-551: Is a dynamic piece of legislature that will continue to address ever-changing priorities and values. The United States and Canada and the states that border the Great Lakes have all created several laws, policies, and commissions to try to keep the Great Lakes healthy and un-polluted. In 1909 the Boundary Waters Treaty was put into place to control the water quality in the Boundary Waters that border both
820-399: Is a major contributor to pollution in the Great Lakes and water bodies across the world. Air pollution emitted in one country can have impacts in other countries. Acid rain , a significant type of atmospheric pollution, is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the atmosphere. These substances rise very high into
902-463: Is accompanied by the invasion of cattails , which displace many of the native plant species and reduce plant diversity. Eutrophication may accelerate this process by providing nitrogen and phosphorus for the more rapid growth of competitively dominant plants. Similar effects are occurring on the north shore, in wetlands such as Presqu'ile, which have interdunal wetlands called pannes , with high plant diversity and many unusual plant species. Most of
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#1732772472838984-693: Is also known as the Binational Executive Committee (BEC), which meets at least twice a year to establish priorities and review progress. Under the GLWQA, various action plans have been established to target specific lakes. For example, the 2012 amendment resulted in the creation of GLWQA Nutrients Annex Subcommittee that will help target the algal bloom in Lake Erie. Overall, the General Lakes Water Agreement
1066-437: Is pollution that falls from the sky and comes to rest back on earth in the water table and in the lakes, rivers and oceans. Sources of this type of air pollution are smoke stacks at power plants and factories, as well as cars, trucks, other motor vehicles and stationary engines that burn fossil fuels . Atmospheric pollution usually falls hundreds of miles away from its source and therefore is difficult to track and locate, but it
1148-432: Is pollution that occurs when runoff from streets, lawns, farms, and other areas carries toxins, chemicals, and eroded soil into nearby lakes, rivers, and oceans causing pollution and buildup of sediment. Nonpoint source pollution is said to be the most problematic and hardest to reverse of the types of pollution because it is so hard to regulate and pinpoint where it originates. Many experts agree that nonpoint source pollution
1230-561: Is referred to as the Burlington Shipping Canal. It was proposed in 1824 and opened in 1826. Burlington Canal Lift Bridge is a lift bridge the spans over the canal. The bay today is crossed by two highways: 403 & Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW). The Burlington Bay James N. Allan Skyway (nicknamed "The Skyway") bridge, part of the QEW, crosses the border between Hamilton Harbour and Lake Ontario. The 403, York Street and
1312-449: Is the 13th largest lake in the world . When its islands are included, the lake's shoreline is 712 miles (1,146 km) long. As the last lake in the Great Lakes' hydrologic chain, Lake Ontario has the lowest mean surface elevation of the lakes at 243 feet (74 m) above sea level; 326 feet (99 m) lower than its neighbor upstream. Its maximum length is 193 statute miles (311 kilometres ; 168 nautical miles ), and its maximum width
1394-581: Is the Z-shaped Bay of Quinte which separates Prince Edward County from the Ontario mainland, save for a 2-mile (3.2 km) isthmus near Trenton; this feature also supports many wetlands and aquatic plants, as well as associated fisheries. Major rivers draining into Lake Ontario include the Niagara River, Don River , Humber River , Rouge River , Trent River , Cataraqui River , Genesee River , Oswego River , Black River , Little Salmon River , and
1476-407: Is the biggest concern facing the Great Lakes. With the increase of urbanization, a toll has been taken on the lakes in these areas. Lakes that once had stable ecosystems with the appropriate amount of plant life are now full of massive amounts of plants and algae that have been fed by excess fertilizer from lawns and farms, killing off many species of fish and other water life. Atmospheric pollution
1558-447: Is to bring about the delisting of the waterway from the list of Areas of Concern Since its original passage in 1972, the GLWQA has been amended multiple times to include preventative action towards current anthropogenic stressors. In particular, the latest amendment to the agreement was in 2012 where preventative measures were added to address issues that have arisen since the last amendment in 1987. Furthermore, this amendment resulted in
1640-700: The American Revolution with the influx of Loyalist settlers. During the War of 1812, the Royal Navy and US Navy had fought in several engagements for control of Lake Ontario . The Great Lakes, including Lake Ontario, were largely demilitarized after the Rush–Bagot Treaty was ratified in 1818. The lake became a hub of commercial activity following the War of 1812 with canal building on both sides of
1722-475: The Canadian Museum of History ), created by military engineer Jean-Baptiste de Couagne , identified Lake Ontario as "Lac Frontenac" named after Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau. He was a French soldier, courtier, and Governor General of New France from 1672 to 1682 and from 1689 to his death in 1698. In the 17th century, reports of an alleged creature named Gaasyendietha , similar to
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#17327724728381804-639: The Desjardins Canal . Within Hamilton itself, it is referred to as "Hamilton Harbour", "The Harbour" and "The Bay". The bay is naturally separated from Lake Ontario by a sand bar . The opening in the north end was filled in and channel cut in the middle for ships to pass. The Port of Hamilton is on the Hamilton side of the harbour. Hamilton Harbour was known among the Mississauga Anishinaabek as Wiikwedong simply meaning "at
1886-631: The Hamilton Port Authority ($ 14 million), and Stelco ($ 14 million). On March 9, 2022, Environment and Climate Change Canada announced the completion of the clean-up project where over 615,000 m of contaminated sediment was managed. The final stage of the project, the installation of the environmental cap, will be completed by 2025, which will provide new port land that will be managed by the Hamilton–Oshawa Port Authority. The opening from Hamilton Harbour to Lake Ontario
1968-667: The Native American peoples of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the Government of New York jointly administer the sanctuary. Lake Ontario is the site of several major commercial ports including the Port of Toronto and the Port of Hamilton . Hamilton Harbour is the location of major steel production facilities. The government of Ontario , which holds
2050-716: The Niagara Peninsula is a major fruit-growing and wine-making area. The wine-growing region extends over the international border into Niagara and Orleans counties in New York. Apple varieties that tolerate a more extreme climate are grown on the lake's north shore, around Cobourg . The Great Lakes watershed is a region of high biodiversity, and Lake Ontario is important for its diversity of birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and plants. Many of these special species are associated with shorelines, particularly sand dunes, lagoons, and wetlands. The importance of wetlands to
2132-520: The Salmon River . The lake basin was carved out of soft, weak Silurian -age rocks by the Wisconsin ice sheet during the last ice age . The action of the ice occurred along the pre-glacial Ontarian River valley which had approximately the same orientation as today's basin. Material that was pushed southward by the ice sheet left landforms such as drumlins , kames , and moraines , both on
2214-404: The 1860s, a fishery inspector at Hamilton Harbour discovered that fish found along the shore tasted of coal oil and that dead ducks and muskrats were coated with oil from two refineries." By the 1950s, city officials had deemed Hamilton Harbour unfit for any recreation use and shut down all beaches. In 1919, a Federal Order-In-Council changed the name of Burlington Bay to Hamilton Harbour . By
2296-550: The 1970s, the International Joint Commission , which governs water usage in the Great Lakes Basin , and other agencies began to recognize the need for action. Greater water quality awareness, improved pollution controls, and an economic downturn all served to improve conditions in the 1980s. In the 1990s, beautification and ecological control were well underway. These measures included sealing
2378-607: The 1972 Clean Water Act in the US and similar laws in Canada, cities and towns, industries, farms and other facilities discharged wastewater into lakes, rivers and other waterways, due to the belief that dilution in the receiving water body would mitigate any potential harm. More recent studies have shown that the dilution theory was often incorrect. After many years of constant dumping, many waterways became contaminated with chemicals, mining waste and human waste. Nonpoint source pollution
2460-553: The 32-mile (52-km) crossing from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Marilyn Bell Park in just under 27 hours. A large conurbation called the Golden Horseshoe occupies the lake's westernmost shores, anchored by the cities of Toronto and Hamilton. Ports on the Canadian side include St. Catharines, Oshawa, Cobourg and Kingston, near the St. Lawrence River outlet. Close to 9 million people, or over a quarter of Canada's population, live within
2542-581: The Atlantic. The shoreline created during this stage can be easily recognized by the (now dry) beaches and wave-cut hills 10 to 25 miles (16 to 40 km) from the present shoreline. When the ice finally receded from the St. Lawrence valley, the outlet was below sea level , and for a short time, the lake became a bay of the Atlantic Ocean, in association with the Champlain Sea . Gradually
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2624-568: The Bay". Early Settlers to the area called the bay Lake Geneva. The bay was formally renamed Burlington Bay in 1792 by John Graves Simcoe , the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada , for the former name of the town of Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire , England . Prior to this, the bay was also known as Washquarter , notably as a landmark to delineate the extent of the Between
2706-721: The Great Lakes chain, Lake Ontario serves as the outlet to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River , comprising the western end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway . The Long Sault control dam , primarily along with the Moses-Saunders Power Dam regulates the water level of the lake. Lake Ontario is the easternmost of the Great Lakes and the smallest in surface area (7,340 sq mi, 19,000 km ), although it exceeds Lake Erie in volume (393 cu mi, 1,640 km ). It
2788-518: The Harbour used to be a regular swimming spot for working-class families. The pollution of Hamilton Harbour waterways is caused by industrialization and, by proxy, urbanization, which came to be a major problem by 1917. Many working-class families were overcome by health hazards when dumping sewage into the inlets and the bay itself became a regular occurrence. Laurel Sefton MacDowell writes in her book An Environmental History of Canada that, "As early as
2870-463: The Iroquois name. Artifacts believed to be of Norse origin have been found in the area of Sodus Bay , indicating the possibility of trading by the indigenous peoples with Norse explorers on the east coast of North America. It is believed the first European to reach the lake was Étienne Brûlé in 1615. As was their practice, the French explorers introduced other names for the lake. In 1632 and 1656,
2952-651: The Lakes Treaty No. 3 negotiated between Simcoe and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation in 1792. Access to the bay was important for the early water transportation and industrial development of the area, including Dundas, Ontario , which had an early but ultimately unrealized lead over both Burlington (Brant's Block) and Hamilton. Over the years, the bay was roughly treated by its littoral residents. Constant infilling, particularly in
3034-528: The Lax Lands, contaminated with heavy metals and other pollutants, under a cap of clay; landscaping Bayfront Park and Pier 4 Park ; and keeping common carp from entering Cootes Paradise. The visible and measurable improvement in water quality in Burlington Bay was showcased in 1994 by the very public swim of Sheila Copps , a local MP and federal cabinet minister . Access and recreational use of
3116-508: The North End of Hamilton, damaged fresh water streams and the wildlife they supported. Channel dredging tended to stir up natural and unnatural sediments, further disrupting the ecological land balance in the area. Chemical, industrial and thermal pollution , especially as a byproduct of the burgeoning steel industry after the 1890s, continued to degrade the environment. The waterways in Hamilton have not always been polluted. The north-end of
3198-608: The Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa , Ontario. Several lighthouses exists throughout the lake to help with navigation. Notable historic examples include: A land-based trail that roughly follows the lake's shoreline also exists, the Great Lakes Circle Tour and Seaway Trail . The designated scenic road systems connects all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. As the Seaway Trail is posted on
3280-703: The U.S. and Canada. They created the International Joint Commission to deal with the duties of the new treaty. With the realization of the sea lamprey explosion in the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission was created to control the situation. In 1994 the Ecosystem Charter for the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Basin was suggested as a good faith agreement. This was an agreement to use
3362-444: The U.S. side only, Lake Ontario is the only of the five Great Lakes to have no posted bi-national circle tour. The Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary covers 1,722 square miles (1,300 sq nmi; 4,460 km ) in U.S. waters in southeastern Lake Ontario. Designated on September 6, 2024, the national marine sanctuary protects historic shipwrecks and an area of great cultural, historical, and spiritual importance to
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3444-647: The United States, population centres here are among the oldest in the Great Lakes basin, with Kingston, Ontario , formerly the capital of Canada , dating to the establishment of Fort Frontenac in 1673. After the French and Indian War , all forts around the lake were under British control. The United States took possession of the forts along the American side of the lake at the signing of the Jay Treaty in 1794. Permanent, non-military European settlement began during
3526-435: The agreement where such failure has caused or is likely to cause impairment of beneficial use of the area's ability to support aquatic life." The U.S.-Canada Water Quality Agreement holds the committee and regulations that decide whether an area should be considered an area of concern. The goal of the agreement is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem through
3608-534: The air, mix with and react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to create acid rain pollution. The effects of acid rain are mostly seen in aquatic ecosystems. As the rain flows through the soil, the acidic water can drain away aluminum from the soil and them flow into streams and lakes. As more acid is released into the environment, more aluminum is also released. There are some plants and animals that are able to tolerate acid rain and moderate amounts of aluminum, but others are not as tolerant and will start to die off as
3690-628: The area between Oswego and Pulaski may receive twenty or more feet (600 cm) of snowfall. Also impacted by lake-effect snow is the Tug Hill Plateau , an area of elevated land about 20 miles (32 km) east of Lake Ontario. The "Hill", as it is often referred to, typically receives more snow than any other region in the eastern United States . As a result, Tug Hill is a popular location for winter enthusiasts, such as snow-mobilers and cross-country skiers. Lake-effect snow often extends inland as far as Syracuse , with that city often recording
3772-439: The area for use in construction, particularly in the growing city of Toronto. As of 2012 , nearly 50 people have successfully swum across the lake. The first person who accomplished the feat was a Canadian long distance swimmer Marilyn Bell , who did it in 1954 at age 16. Toronto's Marilyn Bell Park is named in her honour. The park opened in 1984 and is east of the spot where Bell completed her swim. In 1974, Diana Nyad became
3854-578: The bayfront has improved, and swimming is now allowed at two beaches in the harbour: Bayfront and Pier 4. Hamilton Harbour is listed as a Great Lakes Areas of Concern in The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada. Part of the remediation plan is to reclaim the harbour's wetlands. While most of the carp in the harbour had been eradicated by early 2021, Maclean's reported that numerous goldfish had been found, presumed to have come from
3936-413: The border and heavy travel by lake steamers. Steamer activity peaked in the mid-19th century before competition from railway lines. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a type of scow known as a stone hooker was in operation on the northwest shore, particularly around Port Credit and Bronte . Stonehooking was the practice of raking flat fragments of Dundas shale from the shallow lake floor of
4018-463: The centre of the lake. The Canadian cities of Hamilton , Kingston , Mississauga , and Toronto are located on the lake's northern shorelines, while the Canadian city of St. Catharines and the American city of Rochester are located on the south shore. In the Huron language, the name Ontarí'io means "great lake". Its primary inlet is the Niagara River from Lake Erie . The last in
4100-593: The decrease in Diporeia numbers is extreme at 94% killed over the past ten years. Its neighbor, Lake Huron is down 57% in its Diporeia population in just the past three years. There are many examples of this problem in each of the Great Lakes, as well. The Great Lakes have been damaged by more than 180 invasive and non-native species. Some of these species include the zebra mussel, quagga mussel, round goby, sea lamprey, and alewife. Invasive plants include purple loosestrife and Eurasian watermilfoil. As well as throwing off
4182-747: The dumping of pet fish by the public. One expert stated that the goldfish "is the ultimate survivor of difficult conditions ... it can feed on blue-green algae blooms that native species cannot—blooms that appear with increasing frequency in Hamilton Harbour". Randle Reef, a site in the southeast corner of the harbour, is considered the most dire of identified water pollution issues awaiting remediation in Canada. The environmental containment facility, about 7.5 hectares in size, covers in-situ about 130,000 m of sediments contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons , and contain about 500,000 m of dredged PAH contaminated sediments. The containment facility
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#17327724728384264-549: The eastern and northeastern shores, between the Prince Edward County headland and the lake's outlet at Kingston, underlain by the basement rock found throughout the region. However, there exist several islands in the northwestern portion of the lake. Notable islands include: The Great Lakes Waterway connects the lake sidestream to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence Seaway and upstream to
4346-455: The ecosystem as a method of management for the Great Lakes. The Air Quality Agreement was put into place to help protect the health of not only the ecosystems of the Great Lakes but the citizens who live around them as well. It limits the amount of toxic chemicals that are given off. Another policy that was put into place in response to the toxic chemicals in the area of the Great Lakes occurred in 1997. The Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy
4428-496: The ecosystems in the area. New animals or insects coming into or leaving an ecosystem can be just as damaging as pollution. A major food source for most fish in Lake Michigan had been Diporeia shrimp that have been drastically decreased by an infestation of zebra mussels . The Diporeia shrimp have declined from over 10,000 per square meter to virtually zero on the lake bottom because of these zebra mussels. In Lake Michigan
4510-601: The facility. The clean-up project had an estimated cost of $ 138.9 million, with the containment expected to have a 200-year lifespan. Environment and Climate Change Canada , and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change , each committed $ 46.3 million, with the final third of funding coming from the City of Hamilton ($ 14 million), the City of Burlington ($ 2.3 million), Halton Region ($ 2 million),
4592-413: The first person who swam across the lake against the current (from north to south). On August 28, 2007, 14-year-old Natalie Lambert from Kingston, Ontario, made the swim, leaving Sackets Harbor, New York, and reaching Kingston's Confederation basin less than 24 hours after she entered the lake. On August 19, 2012, 14-year-old Annaleise Carr became the youngest person to swim across the lake. She completed
4674-727: The forests around the lake are deciduous forests dominated by trees including maple, oak, beech, ash and basswood. These are classified as part of the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone by Environment Canada, or as the Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands by the United States Environmental Protection Agency , or as the Great Lakes Ecoregion by The Nature Conservancy. Deforestation in the vicinity of
4756-570: The frost danger is past, and in the autumn delay the onset of fall frost, particularly on the south shore. Cool onshore winds also slow the early bloom of plants and flowers until later in the spring season, protecting them from possible frost damage. Such microclimatic effects have enabled tender fruit production in a continental climate, with the southwest shore supporting a major fruit-growing area. Apples , cherries , pears , plums , and peaches are grown in many commercial orchards around Rochester. Between Stoney Creek and Niagara-on-the-Lake on
4838-436: The habitats of native species and the food web of the ecosystem, invasive species also threaten human health and have a major negative impact on the Great Lakes economy by damaging fisheries, agricultural industries, and tourism. Point-source pollution occurs when pollutants enter a waterway directly. This could be from such causes as municipal sewage or industrial wastewater discharged into waterways. Prior to enactment of
4920-401: The ice. The lake has completely frozen over on five recorded occasions: in 1830, 1874, 1893, 1912, and 1934. When the cold winds of winter pass over the warmer water of the lake, they pick up moisture and drop it as lake-effect snow . Since the prevailing winter winds are from the northwest, the southern and southeastern shoreline of the lake is referred to as the snowbelt . In some winters,
5002-419: The importance of maintaining and restoring forest cover, particularly along streams and wetlands. By the 1960s and 1970s, the increased pollution caused frequent algal blooms to occur in the summer. These blooms killed large numbers of fish, and left decomposing piles of filamentous algae and dead fish along the shores. Lake Ontario is the most downstream lake of the Great Lakes, so the pollution from all
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#17327724728385084-495: The industry. However, only recreational fishing activities exist in the 21st century. Great Lakes Areas of Concern Great Lakes Areas of Concern are designated geographic areas within the Great Lakes Basin that show severe environmental degradation . There are a total of 43 areas of concern within the Great Lakes , 26 being in the United States, 12 in Canada, and five shared by the two countries. The Great Lakes,
5166-505: The invitation of additional organizations to participate in policy formation and remediation. Primarily run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Great Lakes Committee Members have added indigenous representatives and local public government organizations. Thus, any form of remedial action takes into account the local communities’ perspectives. This governing body
5248-426: The lake area typically develops, depending on the severity of the winter. Ice sheets typically form along the shoreline and in slack water bays, where the lake is not as deep. During the winters of 1877 and 1878, the ice sheet coverage was up to 95–100% of the lake. During the War of 1812 , the ice cover was stable enough the American naval commander stationed at Sackets Harbor feared a British attack from Kingston, over
5330-602: The lake has been appreciated, and many of the larger wetlands have protected status. These wetlands are changing, partly because the natural water level fluctuations have been reduced. Many wetland plants are dependent upon low water levels to reproduce. When water levels are stabilized, the area and diversity of the marsh is reduced. This is particularly true of meadow marsh (also known as wet meadow wetlands); for example, in Eel Bay near Alexandria Bay, regulation of lake levels has resulted in large losses of wet meadow. Often this
5412-399: The lake has had many negative impacts, including loss of forest birds, extinction of native salmon, and increased amounts of sediment flowing into the lake. In some areas, more than 90 percent of the forest cover has been removed and replaced by agriculture. Certain tree species, such as hemlock, have also been particularly depleted by past logging activity. Guidelines for restoration stress
5494-472: The lake was referred to as Lac de St. Louis or Lake St. Louis by Samuel de Champlain and cartographer Nicolas Sanson respectively. In 1660, Jesuit historian Francis Creuxius coined the name Lacus Ontarius . In a map drawn in the Relation des Jésuites (1662–1663), the lake bears the legend "Lac Ontario ou des Iroquois" with the name "Ondiara" in smaller type. A French map produced in 1712 (currently in
5576-786: The lakebed rights of the Canadian portion of the lake under the Beds of Navigable Waters Act, does not permit wind power to be generated offshore. In Trillium Power Wind Corporation v. Ontario (Natural Resources) , the Superior Court of Justice held Trillium Power—since 2004 an "Applicant of Record" who had invested $ 35,000 in fees and, when in 2011 the Crown made a policy decision against offshore windfarms, claimed an injury of $ 2.25 billion—disclosed no reasonable cause of action. The Great Lakes once supported an industrial-scale fishery, with record hauls in 1899; overfishing later blighted
5658-481: The land rebounded from the release of the weight of about 6,500 feet (2,000 m) of ice that had been stacked on it. It is still rebounding about 12 inches (30 cm) per century in the St. Lawrence area. Since the ice receded from the area last, the most rapid rebound still occurs there. This means the lake bed is gradually tilting southward, inundating the south shore and turning river valleys into bays . Both north and south shores experience shoreline erosion, but
5740-415: The largest system of fresh water lakes in the world, are shared by the United States and Canada. They make up 95% of the surface freshwater in the contiguous United States and have 10,000 miles of coastline (including connecting channels, mainland and islands)—more than the contiguous United States' Pacific and Atlantic coastlines combined. The lakes are a system of transport and shipping, as well as
5822-525: The modern land surface and the lake bottom, reorganizing the region's entire drainage system. As the ice sheet retreated toward the north, it still dammed the St. Lawrence Valley outlet, so the lake surface was at a higher level. This stage is known as Lake Iroquois . During that time the lake drained through present-day Syracuse, New York , into the Mohawk River , thence to the Hudson River and
5904-507: The most winter snowfall accumulation of any large city in the United States. Other cities in the world receive more snow annually, such as Quebec City , which averages 135 inches (340 cm), and Sapporo , Japan, which receives 250 inches (640 cm) each year and is often regarded as the snowiest city in the world. Foggy conditions (particularly in fall) can be created by thermal contrasts and can be an impediment for recreational boaters. Lake breezes in spring tend to slow fruit bloom until
5986-487: The other lakes flows into it. Lake Ontario was ranked as the most environmentally stressed amongst the five Great Lakes in a 2015 ecological study. Some of the stresses on the lake include excess application of fertilizers in agriculture running into the lake, spillover from obsolete municipal sewage systems , toxic chemicals from industries along the rivers that drain into the lake, and metropolitan drainage from big cities like Toronto, Rochester, and Hamilton. Randle Reef ,
6068-648: The other rivers in the chain via the Welland Canal and to Lake Erie. The Trent-Severn Waterway for pleasure boats connects Lake Ontario at the Bay of Quinte to Georgian Bay (Lake Huron) via Lake Simcoe . The Oswego Canal connects the lake at Oswego to the New York State Canal System , with outlets to the Hudson River, Lake Erie, and Lake Champlain . The Rideau Canal , also for pleasure boats, connects Lake Ontario at Kingston to
6150-404: The sites of long beaches, such as Sandbanks Provincial Park and Sandy Island Beach State Park . These sand bars are often associated with large wetlands , which support large numbers of plant and animal species, as well as providing important rest areas for migratory birds. Presqu'ile, on the north shore of Lake Ontario, is particularly significant in this regard. One unique feature of the lake
6232-477: The so-called Loch Ness Monster , being sighted in the lake. The creature is described as large with a long neck, green in colour, and generally causes a break in the surface waves. A series of trading posts were established by both the British and French, such as Fort Frontenac in 1673, Fort Oswego in 1722, and Fort Rouillé in 1750. As the easternmost and nearest lake to the Atlantic seaboard of Canada and
6314-446: The tilting amplifies this effect on the south shore, causing loss to property owners. The lake has a natural seiche rhythm of eleven minutes. The seiche effect normally is only about 3 ⁄ 4 inch (1.9 cm) but can be greatly amplified by earth movement, winds, and atmospheric pressure changes. Because of its great depth, the lake as a whole does not completely freeze in winter, but an ice sheet covering between 10% and 90% of
6396-599: The watershed of Lake Ontario. The American shore is largely rural, with the exception of Rochester and the much smaller ports at Oswego and Sackets Harbor. The city of Syracuse is 40 miles (64 km) inland, connected to the lake by the New York State Canal System. Over 2 million people live in Lake Ontario's American watershed. Several islands exist in the lake, the largest of which being Wolfe Island . Nearly all of Lake Ontario's islands are on
6478-408: The westernmost part of Lake Ontario, has been identified as one of the most contaminated areas on Lake Ontario alongside other areas of concern on Great Lakes . However, a $ 150-million cleanup project had begun in 2016 and is expected to be completed by 2025. The name Ontario is derived from the Huron word Ontarí'io , which means "great lake". In Colonial times, the lake was also called Cataraqui ,
6560-473: The year (owing to seasonal changes in water input) and among years (owing to longer-term trends in precipitation). These water level fluctuations are an integral part of lake ecology and produce and maintain extensive wetlands. The lake also has an important freshwater fishery, although it has been negatively affected by factors including overfishing , water pollution and invasive species . Baymouth bars built by prevailing winds and currents have created
6642-627: Was constructed in 2018 using two walls of steel sheet piling . Later in 2018, contaminated sediment surrounding the containment facility was dredged and placed inside the facility. The wastewater will be treated by an on-site water treatment system using sand filtration and granular activated adsorption and discharged back into the harbour. Last, an environmental cap will be built of layers of several materials including aggregates of various sizes, geotextile and geogrid , wickdrains, and surface materials (asphalt and/or concrete), placed sequentially from bottom to top in order to contain toxic sediment in
6724-435: Was developed to control the persistent toxic substances that bioaccumulate such as DDT, PCBs, mercury and dioxins. These toxins stay in ecosystems for long after they are exposed and they can cause serious damage to the plant and animal life." One of the major problems is the number of non-native species that are taking over the lakes. Approximately every eight months a new species enters the Great Lakes, severely disrupting
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