the lower oxtongue river, lake of bays, ontario, canada

The Oxtongue River flows from Algonquin Park to Lake of Bays following a glacial outwash channel created by the melting Algonquin glacier. The Lower Oxtongue begins below Marsh’s Falls where it becomes a slow, meandering river winding its way to meet the lake. Over 10,000 years the river has cut different routes through an alluvial floodplain leaving several oxbows and meanders along its length. Glaciofluvial sand terraces and bedrock bound river’s course to the lake. A veritable museum of glacial change, they create an isolated valley of undisturbed natural cover in a region under heavy pressure from cottage development.

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The eroding silt and sand banks, swamp thickets, marshes, fens and sandbars create a support a great diversity of plant and animal life. The river is easily accessible from Lake of Bays and Marsh’s Falls and is a popular destination for boaters. This easy access makes it a favoured destination for paddlers and naturalists but also leaves it vulnerable to erosion from the wakes of motorboats and personal watercraft.

The 170-hectare Lower Oxtongue River valley is identified by the district under the Muskoka Heritage Areas Program as an area of significant natural heritage. The official plan of the Township of Lake of Bays states that development will be directed outside of the valley boundary. The Lake of Bays Heritage Foundation has acquired 69 hectares on the Lower Oxtongue for permanent protection. The Lake of Bays Heritage Foundation is a community-based, conservation charity committed to protecting the natural, built and cultural heritage of the Lake of Bays area.

Visit and donate: The Lake of Bays Heritage Foundation is a community-based, non-profit organization that protects the natural, built and cultural heritage of the Lake of Bays, including the Oxtongue watershed. https://www.lakeofbaysheritage.ca/get-involved/donate.