Torch River is a river in the
Canadian province
Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of Canada, Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North Amer ...
of
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...
. The
river's source is the dam at
Candle Lake, near
Candle Lake Provincial Park, and it travels east through
boreal forest
Taiga or tayga ( ; , ), also known as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by pinophyta, coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, and larches. The taiga, or boreal forest, is the world's largest land biome. I ...
and
muskeg
Muskeg (; ; , lit. ''moss bog'') is a peat-forming ecosystem found in several northern climates, most commonly in Arctic and boreal ecosystem, boreal areas. Muskeg is approximately synonymous with bogland, bog or peatland, and is a standard te ...
en route to its mouth in the
Saskatchewan River Delta.
Torch River Provincial Forest, a
conservation area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewoo ...
, is located along the course of the river, near where
White Fox River flows into Torch River. Torch River is a significant tributary of the
Saskatchewan River
The Saskatchewan River (Cree: , "swift flowing river") is a major river in Canada. It stretches about from where it is formed by the joining of the North Saskatchewan River and South Saskatchewan River just east of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan ...
and it is part of the
Hudson Bay drainage basin
The Hudson Bay drainage basin is the drainage basin in northern North America where surface water empties into the Hudson Bay and adjoining waters. Spanning an area of about and with a mean discharge of about , the basin is almost entirely wi ...
.
Description
The Torch River is a tributary of the
Saskatchewan River
The Saskatchewan River (Cree: , "swift flowing river") is a major river in Canada. It stretches about from where it is formed by the joining of the North Saskatchewan River and South Saskatchewan River just east of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan ...
and it flows into one of North America's largest inland fresh water deltas, the
Saskatchewan River Delta. The river begins at the south-east corner of Candle Lake from a dam at Hanson Bay near Minowakaw Beach Campground in the
RM of Paddockwood No. 520. The dam is a 3.1-metre high concrete dam that was constructed in 1978–1979 and is operated by the
Saskatchewan Watershed Authority. Less than a mile after the river starts, it crosses
Highway 120, leaves the RM of Paddockwood, and enters the
RM of Torch River No. 488.
It travels in a generally eastward direction through muskeg and boreal forest and along the way, it is joined by several tributaries, including
White Gull Creek,
Stewart Creek,
White Fox River, and Missipuskiow River and crosses
Highway 106 near Fyson Lake. Stewart Creek has its headwaters in the
Cub Hills and
Narrow Hills Provincial Park. At the confluence of Torch and White Fox Rivers, the course takes it through the Torch River Provincial Forest and as it approaches
Tobin Lake, it starts to parallel the Saskatchewan River. As it passes Tobin Lake, it enters into the
Northern Saskatchewan Administration District
The Northern Saskatchewan Administration District (NSAD) is the unincorporated area of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada. It encompasses approximately half of Saskatchewan's land mass. Despite its extent, the majority of Saskatchewanians live in the ...
and meets up with the Saskatchewan River downstream shortly thereafter.
Tributaries
The following is a list of tributaries of Torch River from the upper part of the
watershed
Watershed may refer to:
Hydrology
* Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins
* Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage)
Music
* Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...
to the lower part:
*Gull Creek
*Thompson Creek
*
White Gull Creek
*
Stewart Creek
**
Caribou Creek
*Falling Horse Creek
*Bailey Creek
*
White Fox River
**Howard Creek
**Loon River
**Bisset Creek
***Bedard Creek
**Fern Creek
**Kelsey Creek
*Missipuskiow River
*Adams Creek
See also
*
List of rivers of Saskatchewan
This is a list of rivers of Saskatchewan, a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada.
The largest and most notable rivers are listed at the start, followed by rivers listed by drainage basin and then alphabetically.
Principa ...
*
Hudson Bay drainage basin
The Hudson Bay drainage basin is the drainage basin in northern North America where surface water empties into the Hudson Bay and adjoining waters. Spanning an area of about and with a mean discharge of about , the basin is almost entirely wi ...
References
{{Authority control
Rivers of Saskatchewan
Tributaries of Hudson Bay
Northern Saskatchewan Administration District
Torch River No. 488, Saskatchewan
Paddockwood No. 520, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan River