The historic bathymetry maps were created using simple methods to determine lake depths and were meant for resource management purposes only.
Bathymetry is the measurement of water depth in lakes. From the 1940s to the 1990s, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry produced bathymetry maps for over 11,000 lakes across Ontario.
The data can be used by the general public and GIS specialists for:
- climate chnage modelling
- fish monitoring and other ecological applications
- hydrologic cycle modelling
- recreational fishing maps
- watershed-based water budgeting
The maps were created using simple methods to determine lake depths. They were meant for resource anagement purposes only. Little effort was made to identify shoal and other hazads when creating these bathymetric maps.
Since this data was collected, many constructed and naturally occuring events could mean that the depth information is now inaccurate, so these maps should not be used for navigational purposes. In many cases, these maps still represent the only authoritative source of bathymetry data for lakes in Ontario.
