The Carp River is a river in the city of

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. It is 42 kilometres (26 miles) long and its watershed drains an area of approximately 306 km² spread across Stittsville, Kanata, and West Carleton-March. The headwaters originate as the upper Carp River (also called Carp Creek), which runs southwest from Appaloosa Park under Eagleson Road through Glen Cairn where it empties into the marshes and storm water ponds south of the Canadian Tire Centre. From there it flows north through West Carleton-March into the

Ottawa River The Ottawa River (, ) 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 Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...

at Fitzroy Harbour. The Carp River has four major tributaries: Poole Creek, Feedmill Creek, Huntley Creek, and Corkery Creek. The watershed is administered by the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority. The Carp River likely takes its name from the abundance of native sucker fish ( White Sucker - ''Catostomos commersonii'') found in the river by early European explorers or settlers. The French name for sucker fish is ''carpe'' and the native suckers bear some resemblance to the common European Carp (''Cyprinus carpio''), especially around the mouth. They prefer the shallow, warm, slow moving waters of the Carp River and inhabit the river today, along with introduced European Carp. In the spring there is enough run-off water from melting ice that the Carp River becomes a

whitewater Whitewater forms in the context of rapids, in particular, when a river's Stream gradient, gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that foam, froths, making t ...

paddling site. The put-in is beside a bridge (crossing the river) on Carp Road between Kinburn Side Road and Galetta Side Road. The whitewater is class 2 to 3 and excellent for kayaking and canoeing.

Carp River restoration

Planning and analysis for this initiative has been underway since 2000 and involves numerous stormwater, sanitary, transportation, and waterflow projects. The Carp River Restoration Plan will enhance the river with a narrower low flow channel that improves sediment transport, vegetation along the river banks, and habitat features such as fish habitat pools and wetlands. The project is expected to be complete by 2021.Carp River Watershed/Subwatershed Study, December 2004, Prepared for the City of Ottawa.
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Carp River restoration

See also

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