The Montreal River is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of ...
in
Timiskaming District
Timiskaming is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district was created in 1912 from parts of Algoma, Nipissing, and Sudbury districts. In 1921, Cochrane District was created from pa ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
. It travels from its source at
Smoothwater Lake to its mouth at
Lake Timiskaming
Lake Timiskaming or Lake Temiskaming (french: Lac Témiscamingue) is a large freshwater lake on the provincial boundary between Ontario and Quebec, Canada. The lake, which forms part of the Ottawa River, is in length and covers an area of ...
on the
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River (french: Rivière des Outaouais, Algonquin: ''Kichi-Sìbì/Kitchissippi'') is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word 'to trade', as it was the major trade route of Eastern ...
. The river is a significant source of
hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
.
Course
The Montreal River has an inverted
check mark shape, first flowing north east, then south east to its mouth. It begins at Smoothwater Lake in
Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park.
Ishpatina Ridge, the highest point in Ontario, lies in the Montreal River
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
just south of Smoothwater Lake, and separates the headwaters of the Montreal River proper, to the northwest, and the headwaters of the tributary
Lady Evelyn River, which joins far downstream, to the southeast.
The river heads north, takes in several tributaries and reaches Inlet Bay on Gowganda Lake and the community of
Gowganda. The river exits the lake at Outlet Bay, passes under
Ontario Highway 560 and continues northeast. It reaches The Forks at
Matachewan
Matachewan is a township in Timiskaming, Northeastern Ontario, Canada, located at the end of Ontario Highway 66 along the Montreal River. The name is derived from the Cree word for "meeting of the currents".
The town's main economy is based ...
and takes in the major left tributary West Montreal River. It continues northeast briefly to Fox Rapids, then turns southeast, passes under
Ontario Highway 65
King's Highway 65, commonly referred to as Highway 65, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The route begins at Highway 66 and travels southeast to the Quebec border. At its midpoint, the route is conc ...
, takes in the right tributary Sydney Creek and left tributary Council Creek and reaches the
Ontario Power Generation
Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG) is a Crown corporation and "government business enterprise" that is responsible for approximately half of the electricity generation in the province of Ontario, Canada. It is wholly owned by the government ...
(OPG) Indian Chute Generating Station and dam at Indian Chute Falls. The river continues southeast to the community of
Elk Lake, takes in the right tributary Makobe River and again passes under both Highway 65 and Highway 560. The river continues southeast, passes through the Mountain Chutes, takes in the major right tributary Lady Evelyn River at the community of
Mowat Landing, passes into Bay Lake and reaches the town of
Latchford. The river is paralleled by Highway 65 for the stretch Matachewan to Latchford.
The river heads over the Latchford Dam and under the
Sgt. Aubrey Cosens VC Memorial Bridge carrying
Ontario Highway 11
King's Highway 11, commonly referred to as Highway 11, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. At , it is the second longest highway in the province, following Highway 17. Highway11 begins at Highway&nbs ...
, attains OPG Hound Chute Generating Station and dam and further downstream
Canadian Hydro Developers
Canadian Hydro Developers, Inc. was a Canadian company that operated 12 hydroelectric power sites, eight wind power sites and one biomass power site in Canada.
Canadian Hydro was founded by two brothers John and Ross Keating with Jack McCleary. ...
' Ragged Chute Generating Station and dam. The river flows over Fountain Falls and the Paugan Rapids, and enters the reservoir of the OPG Lower Notch Generating Station and dam. It then passes through the generating station to reach its mouth at Lake Timiskaming.
Ecology
Two bird banding stations are located in the Montreal River drainage basin. One is at Mountain Chutes southeast of Elk Lake, and a second at Gillies Lake just northeast of Latchford.
Tributaries
*Sandstone Creek (right)
*Giroux Creek (left)
*Hound Chute Creek (right)
*Gillies Creek (left)
*Loon Creek (left)
*Sucker Gut Creek (right)
*Gilchrist Creek (right)
*McLaren's Creek (left)
*Kitt Creek (right)
*Wadi's Creek (right)
*Lady Evelyn River (right)
*Moccasin Creek (right)
*Spray Creek (right)
*Barber Creek (right)
*Etwill Creek (right)
*Wabun Creek (left)
*Moosehorn Creek (right)
*Makobe River (right)
*Explorer Creek (right)
*Council Creek (left)
*Sydney Creek (right)
*Whiskeyjack Creek (left)
*West Montreal River (left)
*Miller Creek (right)
*Gowganda Lake
*Haines Creek (right)
*Okinada Creek (left)
*Smoothwater Lake
**Smith Creek
See also
*
List of rivers of Ontario
This is the list of rivers which are in and flow through Ontario. The watershed list includes tributaries as well.
Dee River, flows between Three Mile Lake and Lake Rosseau.
List of rivers arranged by watershed Hudson Bay
Atlantic Ocean
...
References
Sources
*
*
{{refend
Rivers of Timiskaming District