 In the spring, the floodwaters would rise so much that water would flow from the Black River into Lake St. John, raising it several feet.In most years, the logs would be gathered on St. John and shipped to mills further south on the Northern Railway of Canada's mainline, which ran right beside the lake.In some years the lake would rise so much that the short neck of land between St. John and Couchiching would overflow, allowing logs to be floated onto Couchiching.