Michipicoten River

Michipicoten River
Michipicoten River as seen from Highway 101
Map
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
RegionAlgoma District
Physical characteristics
SourceDog Lake
 • location15 km SW of Missanabie, Ontario
 • coordinates48°13′55″N 84°13′15″W / 48.23194°N 84.22083°W / 48.23194; -84.22083
 • elevation330 m (1,080 ft)
MouthMichipicoten Bay of Lake Superior
 • location
Michipicoten, Ontario
 • coordinates
47°56′00″N 84°51′00″W / 47.93333°N 84.85000°W / 47.93333; -84.85000
 • elevation
183 m (600 ft)[1]
Length81 km (50 mi)
Basin size5,200 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.

  1. ^ Wright, John W., ed. (2006). The New York Times Almanac (2007 ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books. pp. 64. ISBN 0-14-303820-6.
  2. ^ Kelton, Dwight H. (1884). Annals of Fort Mackinac. U.S. Library of Congress. pp. 150.