Gatineau Park: Pink Lake

Gatineau Park, just east of Ottawa in Quebec, contains this absolute gem of a lake. It is unique in the park and highly protected, as it is meromictic, like Green and Round Lakes near us in central NY.

The National Capitol Commission describes this phenomenon:

The lake is meromictic, meaning that, unlike a normal lake, its upper and lower water levels never mix. Normally a lake’s water mixes completely each year during the spring and fall and because of water density, water and air temperature, and the wind. The mixing of lake waters distributes nutrients and oxygen evenly throughout the lake.

Pink Lake’s waters do not mix because it has a small surface and bowl-like shape and is surrounded by steep cliffs that protect it from the wind. This is why it is called “meromictic.” There is no oxygen in the deepest seven metres of the lake.

The NCC website page on Pink Lake is here.
Here is an short article on meromictic lakes.
For technicians, a long detailed discussion.
Google will yield much more on the subject.

There is beautiful trail around the lake.