A Glimpse of Desert Lake History

Courtesy of Mary Clark

 In 1922, William and Emma Pierce (grandparents of Mary Clark and Bill Pierce) came from East Aurora, N. Y. to fish at Desert Lake. They stayed at the fishing camp owned by Edmund and Edna Page. It was located at the south end of the lake (across the road from present day Lazy Acre).

The second floor of the fishing camp was sectioned into bedrooms by hanging sheets between the beds. In the morning Edna cooked a massive breakfast for all the guests. Each fishing group was supplied with a guide who rowed the boat, and with enough pans, bread and vegetables for a shore dinner at noon, augmented by the catch of the day. At suppertime, they all returned to the Pages for a large dinner prepared by Edna.

During that time the Pierces’ favourite shore dinner site was the point on which they built their cabin in 1925. It was the first cottage on Desert Lake built for the purpose of fishing.

Looking from the Page’s Fishing Camp (at the south end of the lake) toward present day Desert Lake Family Resort.

Preparing for the day’s fishing.

Daily catch – before licenses and limits

The feldspar mine at the north end of the lake. (Chris and Judith Christensen’s present home)

The bridge at the south end of Desert Lake

The Pierce cabin, built in 1925, consisted of 3 rooms and a loft. Christened WILL-EM-ED, it was named for William, his wife Emma, and their son, Edison (Mary Clark and Bill Pierce’s father)

Looking across the bay to where Art Mitchell would build the second Snug Harbour.

Because the water level in Desert Lake is controlled, these rocks off the point of the Pierce cottage are now under water.

In 1948, Edison brought a team of carpenters, plumbers and electricians from East Aurora. From July 15-20 they built an addition to the cottage, installed a septic system, and electricity. The crew worked all morning, fished in the afternoon and had all the beer they could drink.

The septic crew

The first septic tank

In 1948, four bedrooms and a bathroom were added to the cottage.

Mary and Bill have been coming to Desert Lake for as long as they can remember. Here they are with their mother, Dorothy.

2014 Annual General Meeting - August 3

Citizen Water Watch – Report a Sighting

Algae Bloom

Noticing green algal blooms or excessive aquatic plant growth in your lakes or rivers? You can now easily report it! The Citizen Water Watch website (www.citizenwaterwatch.ca) allows recreational water users to report any observations of green algal blooms or excessive aquatic plant growth to a central data base. These observations will help to better monitor green algae and aquatic plant growth in Eastern Ontario lakes and rivers.

Whether you are an angler, boater, paddler, swimmer or any water enthusiast, we are asking you to report what you are seeing on the water that you use. Information about when, where and how often algal blooms and excessive aquatic plant growth are occurring will help develop future research on the causes of green algal blooms and excessive aquatic plant growth in local lakes and rivers. This information will also help us gain a greater understanding about the algae and aquatic plant growth in the waters that we cherish.

The first phase of the Citizen Water Watch website has been created as a part of The People, Aquatic Plants and Healthy Lakes: Finding the Balance in Eastern Ontario’s Lake Country Project. This project, being done by a collaborative group consisting of Friends of the Tay Watershed, Carleton University, Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority and Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, is being funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Algae and aquatic plants are a part of a healthy aquatic ecosystem but in excess they can put stress on other organisms in our lakes and rivers. Many local recreational water users have noted an increase in algae and aquatic plant growth, despite little observed change in nutrient concentrations which are often the cause of algal blooms and excessive aquatic plant growth. Reporting observations of algae and aquatic plants will help us better understand the excessive plant growth and find ways to improve aquatic environments.

To report a sighting go to www.citizenwaterwatch.ca, create an account and click on the “Report a Sighting” tab, fill out the form and hit submit. Knowing the name of the waterbody and nearest town where your observation took place as well as a picture will be helpful information to include.

For more information about this project, visit http://rvca.ca/programs/algae_watch/index.html or contact Kaitlin Brady, RVCA Algae Watch Project Coordinator at 613-692-3571 ext. 1154 or kaitlin.brady@rvca.ca or Mike Yee, RVCA Biology and Water Quality Manager at 613-692-3571 ext. 1176 or michael.yee@rvca.ca.