Dow's Lake swimming isn't as disgusting as you think
Swimming at Dow's Lake is not for the squeamish.
Although authorities insist the water quality is fine, anyone who's been in Ottawa for a few freeze-thaw cycles has seen the crap on the bottom when the water is drained from the Rideau Canal.
After the skateway season ends and the ice melts, those fancy change huts aren't the only things left behind. There's usually a fair amount of litter, too, which means the canal bed is not a pretty sight in spring. Plus it smells like a swamp, which is not surprising.
Two hundred years ago, before the Canal was built, Dow's Lake was known as the Great Swamp. At some point a dam was constructed, flooding the area and creating a small man-made lake that was named after a local landowner, Abram Dow.
And there I was just a few weeks after the thaw of 2025, preparing to take a swim in it.
I'll admit my first reaction to the notion of swimming at Dow's Lake was something close to revulsion. 'Ugh,' I thought, not only remembering the slimy debris along the sides of the canal that leads to it but also countless tales of the monster muskie that supposedly inhabit its depths.
Still, as a committed amateur swimmer, I loved the idea of adding another entry to the list of wild-swimming spots in Ottawa-Gatineau — especially when it's one that people can ride their bicycles to.
To quell my doubts as to the quality of the water, I emailed the National Capital Commission, the federal agency that came up with the idea to put a dock at Dow's after the huge success of the 2023 re-opening of River House.
The NCC's River House is the heritage boathouse situated along a wide stretch of the Ottawa River east of Rideau Falls. Following a years-long, $15-million-dollar renovation, it was fully restored, adding floating docks and a swimming area in the river. I have done my laps there several times, and it's amazing to feel the wind, waves and current of the mighty river.
The folks at Ottawa Riverkeeper test the water quality at River House three times a week, while at Dow's Lake, they test five times a week. The samples are processed at the Riverkeeper's in-house lab, but it takes a minimum of 24 hours for lab results to be available.
That 24-hour delay is only a problem when it rains because water that tested fine yesterday may not be e. coli-free today. If there was a big dump of precipitation overnight, it could wash sewage and/or goose poop into the waterways, spiking the e-coli levels.
Just to be sure, I don't swim outdoors in the city after a significant amount of rain, no matter what the testing says.
As for the host of other chemicals that could be washed from the parkway into the lake, NCC spokesperson Benoît Desjardins sent along this information: 'The NCC has conducted extensive water testing for more than 140 parameters, including E. coli, metals, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and petroleum hydrocarbons. To date, these tests have shown concentrations below detection limits or below human health thresholds, consistent with other swim sites.'
'Okay, I'll do it,' I vowed to myself.
The next step was to plan the logistics. The Dow's Lake swimming dock is open daily from sunrise to sunset, and it's free. However, it's unsupervised and lacking amenities, with no changing area, washroom, snack bar, parking or even lane-markers in the water.
At least it has the basics covered, sporting cheerful red Muskoka chairs on the dock, sturdy ladders to get out of the lake and a bicycle rack nearby.
I wore my swimsuit under my clothes to make it easy, then drove against the rush-hour traffic and found a parking spot on a quiet side street west of Bronson Avenue. Toting my towel, goggles and pink swim cap, I walked the short distance to the dock, admiring the flower beds along the way.
The dock is located on a deep part of the lake, at least four metres (or 13 feet) to the bottom. I far prefer swimming in deep water, partly because your toes can't feel the weeds, stumps or car parts that may be down there, and you aren't likely to bump into a muskellunge in wait for its prey.
The temperature of the water was refreshing but far from frigid, and I bet it will warm up quickly in hot weather. Instead of diving into the unknown waters, I pushed off from the ladder, put my face down and pulled a few front-crawl strokes. Despite my prescription swim goggles, I saw absolutely nothing in the murky depths except sunlight reflecting off the particles of sand clouding the water.
I had the 'pool' to myself most of my time there. While I swam a dozen or so laps, haphazardly as there are no lane markers, a handful of student-aged exercisers stopped to take a quick plunge, while others simply relaxed in the red chairs.
From the corner of one eye, I spotted an extended family of geese, with goslings, minding their own business on the shore a stone's throw from the dock. I also saw a fleet of after-work paddleboarders on the horizon, making their way across the wind-rippled lake. Floating on my back, I watched fluffy white clouds decorate a bright blue sky.
Here's what I didn't do: I tried to avoid getting water in my mouth. I did not attempt to propel myself downward to touch the bottom. I stayed within the boundaries of the roped-off zone. I didn't open my eyes underwater without goggles, and most importantly, I didn't let my imagination take over in conjuring a menace lurking below.
Afterwards, I felt great and paused to share my elation with a young woman in an NCC shirt who had been sitting near the dock all afternoon. She was a Carleton University student whose summer job is to serve as an 'ambassador' at the swimming dock.
Neither security guard nor lifeguard, she was there to answer questions from the public and take their suggestions, in both official languages.
'What's the most popular question?' I inquired.
'Water quality,' she replied without hesitation, outlining the frequency of the testing and the contaminants being tested like she had done it a million times before. She also let me know about the licensed, pop-up bistro that's coming soon to the area. I jokingly observed that it's not quite close enough to be a swim-up bar, a detail that can only help the water quality.
But seriously. For strong swimmers, I would score the Dow's Lake dock higher than Westboro, Britannia and Mooney's Bay beaches, largely because of the depth, but not as high as River House, which has change rooms, lockers and showers.
Speaking of showers, I wasted no time in proceeding directly to one. While I didn't think the water of Dow's Lake left me smelling like a turtle, it seemed prudent to treat myself to some hot water and soap after being immersed in the former Great Swamp.
lsaxberg@postmedia.com
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