The hazards facing one of the largest deep water lakes in Renfrew County have been recognized at the provincial
government level and by local organizations Some remedial work has been undertaken but much remains to be done if the
lake is to retain its namesake clarity and continue to improve its “Moderately Sensitive” ranking.

A warning flag was raised in 1982, when PCBs were found in fish sampled from the lake. The problem was traced to a
dust retardant sprayed on Lake Clear Road. Corrective action by the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE) included
replacing about 4 kilometres of road bed, but fears of long-term problems remain. The road is continually monitored for
fissures that may allow contaminants to erode into the lake. Nearby cottagers ensure that wells are regularly tested.

The mandate of Lake Clear Conservancy (LCC),the most active of the involved organizations, is to protect, preserve and
enhance the lake, its islands and its watershed. LCC is a not-for-profit incorporated land trust that acquired three small
islands, Green and Twin Islands, through the initiative of long-term resident and founding director, retired judge Lornie
Foran, who purchased them on behalf of the LCC in a last-minute deal for back taxes in 1998. Plans are now well-
advanced with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) for the Township of Bonnechere Valley to acquire a land use
permit for the four Crown-owned islands, Muddy, Hanes, Blueberry and Frenchs. (Little Rock, Cherry and Turners are
privately held.)  An island management plan is designed to restore and protect the natural environment while still
accommodating campers. Two additional Crown-owned islands, Salmon and Feather, are included in the land use permit
but are too small for over-night camping.

Island campers have never been required to obtain a permit. The management plan includes a permit system for the islands
suitable for public camping that, it is believed, will encourage their careful use. And, of course, any perpetrators of damage
would be identifiable. Eventually, a fee may be charged that would be applied to hiring a lake steward during the summer
months.

Potential commercial exploitation of the islands and indiscriminate camping were driving forces in the establishment of
the LCC. Foran emphasizes that it is not the intention of the LCC to restrict use of the islands, but to enhance their use by
the general public. One problem faced in recent years is individuals setting up camp for the season and excluding other
users. While most campers exercised good camping practice, a minority cut trees and left a trail of garbage and waste in
their wake. One memorable event in the 1950s saw Green Island aflame, resulting in its alternative names of Fire or Burnt
Island. That fire spread to the mainland and caused considerable excitement before it was quenched, but the island fire had to be left to burn itself out. Illustrating nature's plan, Green Island is now the most bio-diverse of all the islands. Emphasizing the danger, however, was another fire, on Blueberry in 2001.

The late Emmett Graham, who knew every centimetre of eight-kilometre long Lake Clear, maintained that it had a total of
19 islands. Literally, that is correct, but some are very small and one has been joined to the mainland. Scars remain on
Turners Island and the mainland nearby, where Robert Turner, one of the earliest entrepreneurs, excavated for apatite and
zircon. Stories persist that log drives went down Hurds Creek in the 19th Century, but Albert Verch, a resident since 1920,
points to the twists, turns and shallows; he suggests that only snakes could make the trip.

Emmett James Graham (1888-1967) was born on his father's farm, where the Opeongo Mountain Resort is now located,
and lived all his life at Lake Clear. Lacking formal education after, perhaps, primary school, he always astounded his
acquaintances with the breadth and depth of his knowledge acquired through reading, although he never appeared to own
any books. After he sold the family farm to Mike Kelly, he did not even have a real home of his own. A skilled carpenter,
he would make arrangements with cottage owners to renovate their cottage during the winter and move in; he would then
depart in the spring, often without accomplishing very much. His stamina was a byword and he would think nothing of
walking to Eganville and back in one day. Gifted mechanically, he did maintain a collection of old vehicles, including a
World War II Bren Gun Carrier in which he clattered off to see his friends.

Frenchs Island, at the Eastern end of the lake, was named after Thomas P. French, the Crown Land Agent responsible for
the Ottawa and Opeongo Colonization Road from 1855 to 1864. He married a local lady and cleared Lots 50 and 51,
Range C North, on the Opeongo, adjacent to "his" island. After a spell as postrnaster, warden and reeve, he moved to
Ottawa as a postal inspector.

Lake Clear exits through Little Lake Clear to Hurds Creek and flows about 13 kilometres to the Bonnechere River at
Eganville. Four kilometres down the creek is a Renfrew Power Generation Incorporated control dam, built in 1932.
Renfrew Power planned to establish a vertical storage capacity of seven feet, but the resistance of cottage owners resulted
in a compromise height of 5.4 feet.  In 1968 the stretch between Lake Clear and Little Lake Clear was dredged and cleared
to a width of 30 feet and a depth of five feet to improve flow from the lake. The original intent was to repeat the dredging
on a regular basis, but this proved to be economically unsound.  The forces of nature have prevailed, restoring the passage
to essentially its original condition. When the wooden trestle bridge at Manning Road was replaced by two steel culverts,
industrious beavers seized the opportunity to frustrate clearance of their dams by building inside the culverts. A similar
situation exists at Wittke Road. The net result in summer is often barely enough flow to trickle over the ageing hydro dam.
In effect, the creek - not the dam - controls the out-flow. Peter Boldt, manager of Renfrew Power, indicates that Lake Clear
has not lived up to expectations as a water reservoir. But he adds, "As demands on the electrical grid in Ontario increase
and it becomes economically viable, Renfrew Power will be looking more closely at the possibilities this lake may render."



The three LCC islands were the subject of a flora and fauna survey by naturalist Chris Michener in 2000. A shallow lagoon
offering an unspoiled habitat for many plant and animal species is among the "intriguing natural features" he identified on
Green Island where the wetlands contain swamp loosestrife and a very poisonous plant, bulb-bearing water hemlock.
Eighty-six plant varieties were identified including the rare marsh bedstraw, upland white aster, false nettle, and northern
willow-herb. In one short visit he identified 28 different bird species. Biologist Dan Brunton was surprised to find the rare
rocky mountain woodsia thriving on the island. It has been found elsewhere in Ontario, but only in scattered locations in
Algonquin Park, on cliffs along the shores of Lake Superior, and in the extreme northwest of the province.

Herring gulls were identified on the westerly Twin Island and return each year. Visitors are warned to be careful during the
nesting season, or better still, to keep clear, as the gulls are liable to attack intruders. The other Twin has witnessed the
most human disturbance, but Michener was delighted to see a satyr common butterfly, rare in
Renfrew County.

John Almstedt, retired teacher, cottager and informal link between the organizations interested in Lake Clear, recalls that
the lake was losing its namesake clarity during the 1980s due to the growth of algae.  Perch were identified as a major
culprit as they were dining on the zoo plankton that ate the algae. The introduction of pickerel in 1988 to prey on the perch
and a five-year moratorium on pickerel fishing made a significant improvement.

Feather Island has been of increasing concern with several trees downed by high winds, others felled for camp fires, and a
surprising dearth of pine seedlings and underbrush. A combined initiative by the MNR and local volunteers in May 2004
cleaned up the island and planted 150 small pines and cedars. A ban on camping should give Feather Island a chance to
recover.
Retired school teacher Guy Jamieson, president of the Lake Clear Property Owners Association, emphasizes the
importance of combining efforts of all residents for the good of the lake. To this end, 13 "shore reps" each contact about a
dozen residents with news and advice on the usual cottage concerns such as shoreline clearance, septic tanks, washing in
the lake, and boat safety. A couple of "lake stewards" regularly take water samples and send them to the provincial
authorities for analysis. Jamieson is enthusiastic and confident of long-term success in maintaining, and even improving,
the lake's water quality - as long as all the parties concerned continue to cooperate.

For more information:
- Ontario's Lake Partner Program: 1-800-470-8322
   www.ene.gov.on.ca (Search: Lake Partner Program)
- Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations:
   www.foca.on.ca
- Canadian Water Resources Association:
   www.cwra.org
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources:
   www.mnr.gov.on.ca

Measuring a lake's health "Sensitive" is a term in general use, but it is no longer used scientifically.  It had its origins when acid rain was the primary concern. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment developed a scale based on measured alkalinity, or ability to buffer or neutralize acidity, of lakes: "Acidic" (zero or negative alkalinity); "Extremely Sensitive" (very low alkalinity); "Moderately Sensitive;" "Low Sensitivity;" and "Not Sensitive." In 1990 (the last year comprehensive information was available), 25% of the 6,000 lakes sampled were Not Sensitive; 17% had low Sensitivity; 38% were Moderately Sensitive; 14% were Extremely Sensitive; and 5% were Acidic.  Lake Clear fell in the middle of the range. Today, the reduced deposition of sulphates in Ontario has changed the emphasis. The measurement of a lake's health is now more complicated, taking into consideration the amount of phosphorous and dissolved oxygen, and also the trophic level (feeding position in the feed chain). Lake Clear remains in the middle of the range, but is believed to be improving.

Did you know ... There are approximately 262,000 lakes larger than 1 hectare in Ontario The approximate surface area of Ontario lakes is 181,00 square kilometres 17% of Ontario’s area is water 8% of Canada’s area is water 20% of the world’s fresh water is in Canada (but only 7% is renewable)