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About the Lake of the Woods
Located on the Canada / USA border between Manitoba, Ontario, and
Minnesota, Lake of the Woods covers 3,846 km2, two thirds in Canada and
one third in Minnesota.
Lake of the Woods is the second largest inland lake in Ontario and
12th largest lake in Canada (after the Laurentian Great Lakes). It is
the larg est lake in Minnesota, and the second largest natural inland
lake in the USA.
Lake of the Woods is critically important to the social,
environmental, and economic health of communities in northwestern
Ontario, Manitoba, and Minnesota.
The engine for tourism – In Ontario alone, the Lake of the
Woods supports a $125 million tourism industry, 120 tourist resorts, and
approximately 6,000 cottages with annual economic impact of over $85
million.
Significant and valuable fisheries – Lake of the Woods has
provincially and federally significant fisheries including First
Nations’ domestic and commercial fisheries valued at $1 million and a
$34 million sports fishery comprising the largest non-resident sport
fishery in Ontario. The sport fishery 0n the Minnesota portion of
the lake, is estimated at an additional $44 million.
Drinking water – Lake of the Woods is an important drinking
water source for communities in northwestern Ontario and Manitoba,
including many First Nations, the City of Kenora; tourist camps,
thousands of rural residents and cottages and also the City of Winnipeg.
Protection of this source water is imperative.
Nutrient loading to Lake Winnipeg – Lake of the Woods may be a
significant source of nutrients exported from Ontario to Lake Winnipeg
in Manitoba, via the Winnipeg River. This is the second largest source
of nutrients to Lake Winnipeg after the Red River (13% of the phosphorus
and 26% of the nitrogen loads). |
