Michipicoten River | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Ontario |
Region | Algoma District |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Dog Lake |
• location | 15 km SW of Missanabie, Ontario |
• coordinates | 48°13′55″N 84°13′15″W / 48.23194°N 84.22083°W |
• elevation | 330 m (1,080 ft) |
Mouth | Michipicoten Bay of Lake Superior |
• location | Michipicoten, Ontario |
• coordinates | 47°56′00″N 84°51′00″W / 47.93333°N 84.85000°W |
• elevation | 183 m (600 ft)[1] |
Length | 81 km (50 mi) |
Basin size | 5,200 km2 (2,000 sq mi) |
The Michipicoten River is a river in Algoma District of northern Ontario, Canada, which flows from Dog Lake and joins with the Magpie River to empty into Michipicoten Bay on Lake Superior near the town of Wawa. This river is 113 km (70 mi) in length (including Lochalsh River to the outlet of Wabatongushi Lake) and drains an area of about 5,200 km2 (2,000 sq mi).
The river's name derives from the Ojibwe Mishipikwadina, meaning "big bluffs,"[2] and refers to the large hills located near the river's mouth.
From the outlet of Dog Lake, the Michipicoten River flows south through a series of large lakes: Manitowik and Whitefish. Then it flows mostly west to Lake Superior. There are four hydroelectric generating stations on this last section of the river (operated by Brookfield Power Inc.), and at its mouth is the Michipicoten Provincial Park that was the site of a trading post.