Black Donald Lake, lake in Eastern Ontario, Canada
Black Donald Lake is a reservoir in eastern Ontario formed when the Mountain Chute Dam was constructed on the Madawaska River. The body of water features rocky shores with numerous small bays and narrow channels connecting to Centennial Lake upstream.
The lake was created in 1967 when Ontario Hydro built the Mountain Chute Dam, flooding a section of the Madawaska River and submerging the historic mining town of Black Donald. The former graphite mining community disappeared beneath the water within about 6 months as the reservoir filled.
Black Donald Lake carries the memory of a submerged mining town through its name and local stories. Visitors today engage with this heritage by exploring the water where a community once stood, creating a connection between past and present.
Exploring the lake is easiest by boat or kayak, using maps or GPS to navigate the narrow channels and small bays safely. Stay alert for submerged rocks and shallow areas, especially when moving away from the main water routes.
Beneath the lake surface lies the submerged town of Black Donald with its former graphite mines, making this an unusual place where history literally rests underwater. Some divers and boaters explore this sunken landscape, seeking traces of the community that once thrived there.
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