Lac Deschênes

Lac Deschênes
Lac Deschênes Rapids - viewed from Britannia Yacht Club
Location	Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau / Pontiac, Quebec
Coordinates	45°22′24″N 75°51′7″W / 45.37333°N 75.85194°W / 45.37333; -75.85194Coordinates: 45°22′24″N 75°51′7″W / 45.37333°N 75.85194°W / 45.37333; -75.85194
Primary inflows	Ottawa River, Carp River, Constance Creek, Shirley's Brook, Watts Creek, Still Water Creek, Graham Creek
Primary outflows	Ottawa River
Catchment area	90,900 km2 (35,100 sq mi)
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	44 km (27 mi)
Max. width	3.2 km (2.0 mi)
Average depth	9.0 m (29.5 ft)
Max. depth	49 m (161 ft)
Surface elevation	57.9 m (190 ft)
Islands	Kedey's Island (ON), Île O'Connor (QC), Alexandra Island (ON), Île Mohr (QC), Île Allen (QC) (Twelve Mile Island), Alymer Island (ON)
Settlements	Ottawa (ON), Gatineau (QC)
References

Lac Deschênes is a 44 kilometres (27 miles) long lake on the Ottawa River that runs from the Chats Falls Dam near Fitzroy Harbour in the west to the Deschênes Rapids in the east. It is a little over 3.2 kilometres (2.0 miles) wide at its widest point and little more than a few hundred metres at its narrowest. The provincial border between Ontario and Quebec runs through the length of the lake with the City of Ottawa on its southern shore and the city of Gatineau on much of its northern shore. The shoreline is mostly gently sloped and composed of broken limestone interspersed with smaller sections of aquatic shoreline vegetation or mudflats. Above the Chats Falls Dam is Lac des Chats. Below Britannia is a series of rapids and waterfalls culminating with the Chaudière Falls. Between the rapids and the falls, the river is not navigable.

Lac Deschênes is used for recreational boating and sailing. It is home to five sailing clubs and one commercial marina. Britannia Yacht Club is the oldest, established in 1887. It is located at the eastern end of the lake near the Deschênes Rapids. Next is the Nepean Sailing Club established in 1979 but now the largest of the Ottawa area sailing clubs. It is located in Dick Bell Park on Carling Avenue in the former City of Nepean.

The Lac Deschênes Sailing Club and the Kanata Sailing Club are the two smaller clubs consisting primarily of dinghy fleets. On the Quebec side of the lake is the Club de Voile Grande-Rivière located at the Aylmer Marina.

Further upstream on the Ontario side is the Port of Call Marina. Numerous launch ramps exist on both sides of the lake. On the Ontario side, these are located at Fitzroy Harbour, Buckham’s Bay, Port of Call Marina, Shirleys Bay, and the Nepean Sailing Club. A small public dock exists at Pinhey's Point while the village of Quyon maintains much larger public dock facilities near the western end of the lake.