Your Link to Muskoka's Water!
Ben Lake
Location
Ben Lake is situated in the geographic township of Ryde within the Town of Gravenhurst. Access can be gained by traveling southeast from the town centre. Ben Lake flows southwest into Bass Lake and on to Sparrow Lake via Kahshe Lake.
Lake Data Sheet
Muskoka's Lake System Health monitoring program includes tests for Secchi depth (a measure of water clarity), phosphorus concentrations (a measure of nutrient enrichment), dissolved oxygen and temperature.
Learn more about Monitoring Parameters
The data collected for each sample site is summarized in a Lake Data Sheet. The Interpretation of Water Quality Data document explains the information contained in the Lake Data Sheet.
For sampling methodology, please see the annual Lake System Health Monitoring Program report, which is available on the District Municipality of Muskoka website.
Muskoka Web Map: Sample Point
Ben Lake Data Sheet (coordinates: 44.8907 -79.2041)
Shoreline Land Use Maps
Shoreline Land Use Surveys collect data on shoreline vegetation, shoreline structures and the first 20 metres of land surrounding a waterbody. This information is then mapped and provided to lake associations, Area Municipalities and other interested parties for planning purposes.
No Shoreline Land Use Survey has been completed for Ben Lake.
Biological Monitoring Data
A Biological Monitoring Program is available for lake associations interested in becoming more involved in lake monitoring and broader lake planning. Muskoka's Biological Monitoring Technician is available to train lake residents to undertake volunteer monitoring programs that are based on standard protocols such as plantwatch, frogwatch, forest health and benthic analysis. Ongoing support is provided to meet the needs of individual associations.
The Biological Monitoring Program focuses on EMAN's benthic and terrestrial plot protocols, which helped supplement the existing lake monitoring and shoreline land use data.
Please contact us for more information about the Biological Monitoring program and how you can get involved.
Benthic Macro-invertebrate Monitoring
The benthic macro-invertebrate sampling protocol requires the collection and classification of macro-invertebrates from a variety of developed and undeveloped sites of the near shore environment. The program pilots the standard protocol for benthic analysis developed by the Ontario Benthos Biomonitoring Network and spearheaded by the Ministry of the Environment through the Dorset Environmental Science Centre.
Terrestrial Plot Monitoring
Terrestrial forest plots require the establishment of a 20-metre by 20-metre permanent plot. All the trees are then identified, tagged and classified according to health. Monitoring is done on a yearly basis within the plot. Various other aspects of forest health can also be monitored within the standard plot, including decay rates, tree regeneration, lichen diversity, and salamander occurrence.
Terrestrial forest plots are established and monitored based on the protocol developed by EMAN.
Lake Association Contacts
Related Information
- MNR: Lake Fact Sheet
Topics
Location
Lake location, access points and flow direction map.
Lake Data Sheets
How is the water quality in the lake?
Shoreline Land Use Maps
How much of the shoreline on the lake is natural?
Biological Monitoring Data
Benthic and terrestrial plot monitoring data for the lake.
Lake Association Contacts
Lake associations on the lake and in the surrounding area.
Related Information
Links to other sources of data and information for the lake.