Little Lake (Peterborough)

Little Lake
The fountain in Little Lake
Little Lake Location in Ontario
Location	Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates	44°17′47″N 78°18′37″W / 44.2964916°N 78.310271°W / 44.2964916; -78.310271
Type	Lake
Part of	Trent–Severn Waterway
Primary inflows	Otonabee River, Jackson creek, Trent Canal
Primary outflows	Otonabee River
Basin countries	Canada
Surface area	64 hectares (160 acres)

Little Lake is a small lake on the Otonabee River in the city of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. The lake is in the downtown of the city and is used for fishing, swimming, boating, and for various special events. The lake lies on the water route from Lake Ontario to the Kawartha Lakes. The area around the lake was first settled by Europeans around the start of the 19th century. Steam- and water-powered saw mills were built on the lake and on the river upstream to prepare lumber for shipment overseas. Sawdust and other debris from the mills polluted the lake, killed the fish and clogged up the navigable channels. The smell was so noxious it drove residents near the lake to move. These problems were resolved by the end of the century, when the lake became a hub on the new Trent-Severn Waterway from Lake Ontario to Lake Huron. However, industries attracted by cheap hydroelectric power, such as General Electric used the lake for disposal of industrial chemicals for many years. The pollutants seems to be mostly contained in the sediment, and the lake is now considered safe for recreational use.