Lake Wilcox: Difference between revisions

{{forredirect|Wilcox Lake|the lakes in North Cascades National Park|Wilcox Lakes}}

{{Infobox lakebody of water

| lake_namename = Wilcox = Lake Wilcox

| image_lakeimage = Wilcox Lake Panorama.JPG

| caption_lakecaption = Wilcox = Lake Wilcox from SunsetLake BeachWilcox Park

| caption_bathymetry=

| area = {{convert|137|acre|hakm2}}

| max-depth = 57 ft. ({{convert|17.4 |m)|ft}}

'''Lake Wilcox Lake''' (or more commonly; Lake Wilcox) is both a [[kettle lake]] andin a community withinthe [[Oak Ridges, Ontario|Oak Ridges]], neighbourhood of [[Richmond Hill, Ontario|Richmond Hill]], [[Ontario]], Canada. The lake measures 1.5&nbsp;kilometers across and covers 55.6&nbsp;[[hectare]]s or 0.55 square kilometres, making it the largest kettle lake on the [[Oak Ridges Moraine]].<ref name = "TE">{{cite web|url = http://www.town.richmond-hill.on.ca/subpage.asp?pageid=prc_lake_wilcox&textonly=|title = Lake Wilcox|date = 2 July 2021|publisher = Town of Richmond Hill}}</ref> Lake Wilcox, [[Lake St. George (Ontario)|Lake St. George]] and their associated [[wetland]]s form a "provincially significant wetland".<ref>{{cite web|url = http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/documents/winter2004/NHIC_NEWS_WINTER2004.pdf|title = Decade of Achievement}}{{dead link|date=February 2024|bot=medic}}</ref>

The lake is named after William Willcocks (1735/36-1813), who was a merchant in York, Upper Canada and became mayor of [[Cork (city)|Cork]], [[Ireland]] in 1793 (after his return from Upper Canada).<ref name="Carter">{{cite book|title=Stories of Newmarket: An Old Ontario Town|last=Carter|first=Robert Terence|publisher=[[Dundurn Press]]|year=2011|isbn=9781554888801}}</ref><!-- page 48 --><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corkcity.ie/yourcouncil/mayorsofcork/|title=Mayors of Cork|publisher=Cork City Council|accessdate=2014-01-12}}</ref> Willcocks and his family moved to [[Upper Canada]], where his cousin [[Peter Russell (politician)|Peter Russell]] became interim administrator after the departure of [[John Graves Simcoe]] in 1796.<ref name="Carter" /> Willcocks "was an active land speculator" who acquired significant holdings in Upper Canada, including {{convert|800|acres|km2|1}} surrounding the lake.<ref name="Carter" /> The name of the lake was originally Lake Willcocks, but it was corrupted over time to its present spelling.<ref name="Carter" />

Wilcox Lake Wilcox is a local community located within Oak Ridges. The local community has an elementary school; Lake Wilcox elementary school, the Lake Wilcox Community Centre, as well as a number of local parks;. SunsetLake Beach ParkWilcox and Brickworks Parksparks beingare the most popular. The local community has come together through a number of tragedies, including the death of a local mother, Terri Callaway on North Lake Road,<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.theliberal.com/News/Richmond%20Hill/article/88965|title = Sentencing Postponed}}</ref> and two local teens who accidentally drowned in the lake in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web | first = Naomi | last = Parness |url=httphttps://toronto.ctvctvnews.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20080518/canoeists_dead_080518/20080518/?hub=TorontoNewHomerichmond-hill-teens-feared-dead-in-canoe-mishap-1.296617 |title=Richmond Hill teens feared dead in canoe mishap | publisher = [[CTV Television Network|CTV]] | date = 2008-05-18}}</ref>

Housing developments began to boom around Wilcox Lake Wilcox in the 1950s. Lake Wilcox, as a part of the annexation of Oak Ridges, became a part of Richmond Hill in 1971. The suburban housing developments did not continuecontinued until the mid to late 1980s. The developments affected the forests of the Oak Ridges Moraine which supplies water to the GTA., Whichwhich would causecaused environmental damage to Toronto. It continued for about two years. There were protests against the clear-cutting of forests of the Oak Ridges Moraine. In about 2001, Bayview began to expand to connect with the rest of Bayview. In 2002, the housing developments stopped.

Wilcox Lake Wilcox is part of the [[Humber River (Ontario)|Humber River]] drainage system, draining into the East Humber River. The [[drainage basin]] of the lake covers 260 hectares. The maximum depth of the lake is 17.4 meters.<ref name = "TE" />

Wilcox Lake Wilcox, Lake St. George, Swan Lake and Haynes Lake and their associated marshes, swamps and forests form a large wetland designated as a Provincially Significant Wetland.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/areas/areas_report.cfm?areaid=18494|title = Natural Areas Report: WILCOX - ST. GEORGE WETLAND COMPLEX}}</ref> The total complex has some ninety individually identified wetlands, covering 102 hectares., of which 57% of the complex is classified as [[swamp]], 39% as [[marsh]] and 4% as [[bog]].

Beginning in 1997, the town of Richmond Hill undertook a project to restore the lake's condition, which had degraded because of [[pollution]] and development. [[Septic system]]s which had previous drained into the lake were connected to [[sanitary sewer|sewersewers]]s and [[lake lung]]s have beenwere installed to increase [[Oxygenation (environmental)|oxygenation]] of the water. High [[phosphorus]] levels in the lake remain problematic.<ref name = "YR1">{{cite web|url = http://www.yorkregion.com/What's%20on/Attractions/article/37817|title = Lake Wilcox, Richmond Hill|author = Chelsea Edgell}}</ref>

The native [[coniferous tree]]s in Wilcox Lake Wilcox's watershed include [[Whitewhite Sprucespruce]], [[Easterneastern Hemlockhemlock]], [[Easterneastern Whitewhite Pinepine|Whitewhite Pinepine]], [[Redred Pinepine]], [[Easterneastern Whitewhite Cedarcedar]] and [[Tamaracktamarack]].<ref name = "LWAY">{{cite web|url = http://www.richmondhill.ca/documents/heritage_lake_wilcox.pdf|title = Lake Wilcox & You|publisher = Town of Richmond Hill}}</ref> The native [[deciduous tree]]s include [[Redred Maplemaple]], [[Silversilver Maplemaple]], [[Sugarsugar Maplemaple]], [[Quercus rubra|Redred Oakoak]], [[Quercus alba|Whitewhite Oakoak]], [[Burbur oak|Burrburr Oakoak]], [[Balsambalsam Poplarpoplar]], [[Populus tremuloides|Tremblingtrembling Aspenaspen]], [[Largelarge-Toothtooth Aspenaspen]], [[WhiteFraxinus americana|white Ashash]], [[Fraxinus nigra|Blackblack Ashash]], [[Blueblue Ashash]], [[Greengreen Ashash]], [[Basswoodbasswood]], [[Paperpaper Birchbirch]], [[Pinpin Cherrycherry]] and [[Prunus serotina|Blackblack Cherrycherry]]. The native wildflowers include [[Echinacea|Purplepurple Coneflowerconeflower]], [[Rudbeckia pinnata|Yellowyellow Coneflowerconeflower]], [[Flatflat-topped Asteraster]], [[Heathheath Asteraster]], [[Smoothsmooth aster|Smooth Aster]], [[Silkysilky Asteraster]], [[Oxox-eyed Susansusan]], [[Rudbeckia hirta|Blackblack-eyed Susansusan]], [[Clintonia borealis|Bluebeardbluebeard Lilylily]], [[Woodwood lily|Wood Lily]], [[Trouttrout Lilylily]], [[Virginia Strawberrystrawberry|Commoncommon Strawberrystrawberry]], [[Commoncommon Milkweedmilkweed]], [[Blazingblazing Starstar]], [[Fireweedfireweed]], [[Trientalis borealis|Starstar Flowerflower]], [[Wildwild Columbinecolumbine]] and [[Wildwild Bergamotbergamot]]. Aquatic vegetation that is native to the lake itself include [[Schoenoplectus|Bulrushbulrush]]es, [[cattail]]s, [[Waterwater Arumarum]]s, [[Alismataceae|Waterwater Plantainplantain]]s, [[Nymphaeaceae|Waterwater Lilieslilies]], [[Arrowheadarrowhead]]s, [[Blueblue Flagflag Irisiris]]es, [[Smartweedsmartweed]]s and [[Pontederia|Pickeralpickeral Weedweed]]s. Native shrubs found around the lake include [[Speckledspeckled Alderalder]], [[Amelanchier|Smoothsmooth Serviceberryserviceberry]], [[Amelanchier|Allegheny Serviceberryserviceberry]], [[Nannyberrynannyberry]], [[Redred Osierosier]], [[Northernnorthern Swampswamp Dogwooddogwood|Graygray Dogwooddogwood]], [[Silkysilky Dogwooddogwood]], [[Spiraea latifolia|Broadbroad-leaved Meadowsweetmeadowsweet]], [[Rosa palustris|Swampswamp Roserose]], [[Spicebushspicebush]], [[Cephalanthus|Buttonbushbuttonbush]], [[Shiningshining Willowwillow]], [[Willowwillow|Slenderslender Willowwillow]], [[Blackblack Willowwillow]] and [[Pussywillowpussywillow]].

Indigenous animal life includes [[Muskratsmuskrats]], [[Greatgreat Hornedhorned Owlowl]]s and [[Paintedpainted Turtleturtle]]s.<ref name = "YR1" /> Some fish and bird species also thrive in the lake, including [[largemouth bass]], various [[Centrarchidae|sunfishes]], [[yellow perch]], [[crappie]], [[perch]], and [[northern pike]].

The town of Richmond Hill maintains three municipal recreational parks along the shores of WilcoxLake LakeWilcox. These are Jesse VenekVanek Park, Lake Wilcox Park (previously known as Sunset Beach Park), and North Shore Parkette. areThe smallLake municipal parks with [[picnic]]ing areas. TheWilcox Fish &and Wildlife Sanctuary/Pike HatcheryRefuge is left in a natural state. The lake itself is used for [[fishing]], [[windsurfing]], [[kayaking]], and [[boating]]. The lake also has [[floatplane]]s land there regularly.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

* [[Bond Lake (Ontario)]], spring fed lake was home to recreation park in late 19th and early 20th Centurycenturies

[[Category:Landforms of Yorkthe RegionRegional Municipality of York]]