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The Ottawa River (french: Rivière des Outaouais,
Algonquin Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to: Languages and peoples *Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia **Algonquin la ...
: ''Kichi-Sìbì/Kitchissippi'') 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 w ...
in the Canadian provinces of
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 C ...
and
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. 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 between these two provinces. It is a major tributary of the
St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...
and the longest river in Quebec.


Geography

The river rises at Lac des Outaouais, north of the
Laurentian Mountains The Laurentian Mountains (French: ''Laurentides'') are a mountain range in southern Quebec, Canada, north of the St. Lawrence River and Ottawa River, rising to a highest point of at Mont Raoul Blanchard, northeast of Quebec City in the Laurentid ...
of central Quebec, and flows west to
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 ...
. From there its route has been used to define the interprovincial border with Ontario. From Lake Timiskaming, the river flows southeast to Ottawa and Gatineau, where it tumbles over
Chaudière Falls , image = Ottawa Chaudiere Falls.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = Chaudière Falls in June 2006, at summer water levels , map_image = , map_size = , coordinates = , coords_ref = , location ...
and further takes in the Rideau and Gatineau rivers. The Ottawa River drains into the
Lake of Two Mountains Lake of Two Mountains (French: ''Lac des Deux Montagnes'') is part of the river delta widening of the Ottawa River in Quebec, Canada, at its confluence with the St. Lawrence River. Lake of Two Mountains has four outflows: Rivière des Mille Îl ...
and the St. Lawrence River at
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
. The river is long; it drains an area of , 65 per cent in Quebec and the rest in Ontario, with a mean discharge of . It has a maximum depth of at the Carillon Reservoir and is wide at its widest part. The average annual mean waterflow measured at Carillon dam, near the Lake of Two Mountains, is , with average annual extremes of . Record historic levels since 1964 are a low of in 2010 and a high of in 2017. The river flows through large areas of deciduous and coniferous forest formed over thousands of years as trees recolonized the Ottawa Valley after the ice age. Generally, the coniferous forests and blueberry bogs occur on old sand plains left by retreating glaciers, or in wetter areas with clay substrate. The deciduous forests, dominated by birch, maple, beech, oak and ash occur in more mesic areas with better soil, generally around the boundary with the La Varendrye Park.Keddy, P.A. 2008. Earth, Water, Fire. An Ecological Profile of Lanark County. General Store Publishing House, Renfrew, Ontario. (revised from first edition 1999). These primeval forests were occasionally affected by natural fire, mostly started by lightning, which led to increased reproduction by pine and oak, as well as fire barrens and their associated species. The vast areas of pine were exploited by early loggers. Later generations of logging removed hemlock for use in tanning leather, leaving a permanent deficit of hemlock in most forests. Associated with the logging and early settlement were vast wild fires which not only removed the forests, but led to soil erosion. Consequently, nearly all the forests show varying degrees of human disturbance. Tracts of older forest are uncommon, and hence they are considered of considerable importance for conservation. The Ottawa River has large areas of wetlands. Some of the more biologically important wetland areas include (going downstream from Pembroke), the Westmeath sand dune/wetland complex, Mississippi Snye, Breckenridge Nature Reserve, Shirleys Bay, Ottawa Beach/Andrew Haydon Park, Petrie Island, the Duck Islands and Greens Creek.Brunton, D.F. 1992. Life Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest in Site District 6-12. A Review and Assessment of Significant Natural Areas. Report prepared for Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Kemptville, Ontario. The Westmeath sand dune/wetland complex is significant for its relatively pristine sand dunes, few of which remain along the Ottawa River, and the many associated rare plants. Shirleys Bay has a biologically diverse shoreline alvar, as well as one of the largest silver maple swamps along the river. Like all wetlands, these depend upon the seasonal fluctuations in the water level. High water levels help create and maintain silver maple swamps, while low water periods allow many rare wetland plants to grow on the emerged sand and clay flats. There are five principal wetland vegetation types. One is swamp, mostly silver maple. There are four herbaceous vegetation types, named for the dominant plant species in them: ''Scirpus'', ''Eleocharis'', ''Sparganium'' and ''Typha''. Which type occurs in a particular location depends upon factors such as substrate type, water depth, ice-scour and fertility. Inland, and mostly south of the river, older river channels, which date back to the end of the ice age, and no longer have flowing water, have sometimes filled with a different wetland type, peat bog. Examples include Mer Bleue and Alfred Bog. Major tributaries include: *
Bonnechere River The Bonnechere River is a river in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin in Nipissing District and Renfrew County in eastern and northeastern Ontario, Canada. Shows the river course highlighted on a topographic map. The river flows from Algonq ...
*
Coulonge River The Coulonge River (; ) is a predominantly wilderness river in western Quebec, Canada. One of a dozen or so significant tributaries of the Ottawa River, it has a length of and a drainage area of , and runs in a general south-eastern direction fro ...
*
Dumoine River The Dumoine River is a river in western Quebec with its source in Machin Lake near La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve. From Dumoine Lake, the river flows almost due south off the Canadian Shield and empties into the Ottawa River, just west of Rapid ...
*
Gatineau River The Gatineau River (french: Rivière Gatineau, ) is a river in western Quebec, Canada, which rises in lakes north of the Baskatong Reservoir and flows south to join the Ottawa River at the city of Gatineau, Quebec. The river is long and drain ...
*
Kipawa River The Kipawa River (in French: ''Rivière Kipawa'') is a short river in western Quebec, Canada. It is mostly an undeveloped river but the larger lakes have dams, fishing camps, and cottages on their shores. The communities of Kipawa and Laniel are ...
* du Lièvre River * Madawaska River *
Mattawa River The Mattawa River is a river in central Ontario, Canada. It flows east from Trout Lake east of North Bay and enters the Ottawa River at the town of Mattawa. Counting from the head of Trout Lake, it is 76 km in length. The river's name come ...
*
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...
* Montreal River * Rivière du Nord *
Noire River Noire River or Rivière Noire may refer to: North America * Grande rivière Noire or Big Black River (Saint John River tributary), in Maine, United States, and Quebec, Canada * Noire River (L'Assomption River tributary), Matawinie, Lanaudière, Q ...
*
Petawawa River The Petawawa River is a river in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin in Nipissing District and Renfrew County in eastern and northeastern Ontario, Canada. The river flows from Algonquin Provincial Park to the Ottawa River at the town of Petawa ...
* Rideau River * Rouge River *
South Nation River The South Nation River is a river in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It springs from forests and marshes located north of Brockville and it flows northeast to empty into the Ottawa River north of Plantagenet. Shows the river's course highlighted on a ...
Communities along the Ottawa River include (in down-stream order): * Kitcisakik Anicinape Community *
Long Point First Nation Winneway is an Indian settlement of Anishinaabe band government in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec. It is geographically located within the territory of Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality and is home to the Long Point First ...
* Moffet, Quebec * Angliers, Quebec *
Notre-Dame-du-Nord, Quebec Notre-Dame-du-Nord is a municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in the Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality. It is located at the northern end of Lake Timiskaming where the Ottawa River enters into this lake. The munici ...
* Temiskaming Shores, Ontario *
Ville-Marie, Quebec Ville-Marie is a town on Lake Temiscaming in western Quebec, Canada. It is the largest city and seat of the Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality. As one of the oldest towns in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, it is considered the cradl ...
* Témiscaming, Quebec * Thorne, Ontario *
Mattawa, Ontario Mattawa is a town in northeastern Ontario, Canada on Algonquin Nation land at the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers in Nipissing District. Mattawa means "Meeting of the Waters" in the Algonquin language. The first Europeans to pass thr ...
* Deux Rivières, Ontario *
Rapides-des-Joachims, Quebec Rapides-des-Joachims is a municipality and village in western Quebec, Canada, part of Pontiac County in the Outaouais region. The village is situated on Rapides-des-Joachims Island (''l'île de Rapides-des-Joachims'') on the Ottawa River, about ...
* Laurentian Hills, Ontario *
Deep River, Ontario Deep River is a town in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. Located along the Ottawa River, it lies about north-west of Ottawa on the Trans-Canada Highway. Deep River is opposite the Laurentian Mountains and the Province of Quebec. The name ''Deep ...
* Sheenboro, Quebec *
Petawawa, Ontario Petawawa is a town located in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario. Situated in the Ottawa Valley, with a population of 18,160 (2021 Census), Petawawa is the most populous municipality in Renfrew County. Geography The town lies on the west b ...
* Pembroke, Ontario * Westmeath, Ontario *
Waltham, Quebec Waltham, also known as Waltham Station is a village and municipality in the Outaouais region, Quebec, Canada, part of the Pontiac Regional County Municipality. It is located at the mouth of the Noire River, along the north shore of the Ottawa Ri ...
* Fort-Coulonge, Quebec * La Passe, Ontario * Campbell's Bay, Quebec * Portage-du-Fort, Quebec * Bristol, Quebec * McNab/Braeside, Ontario *
Arnprior, Ontario Arnprior is a town in Renfrew County, in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. It is located west of Downtown Ottawa, at the confluence of the Madawaska River and the Ottawa River in the Ottawa Valley. Arnprior has experienced sig ...
*
Quyon, Quebec Quyon is a village that is part of Pontiac, Quebec, in the Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais Regional County Municipality (MRC des Collines). History Already the site of the Sainte-Marie Mission, the village was founded in 1848 by John Egan, a lum ...
*
Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
*
Gatineau, Quebec Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region and is part of Canada's ...
*
Masson-Angers, Quebec Masson-Angers is a former municipality and now a sector within the city of Gatineau. It is located on the north shore of the Ottawa River, in Quebec, Canada, approximately northeast of downtown Ottawa, Ontario. According to the Canada 2011 Censu ...
*
Clarence-Rockland, Ontario Clarence-Rockland is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell on the Ottawa River. Clarence-Rockland is located immediately to the east of Ottawa and is considered part of the Prescott and Russell County ...
*
Thurso, Quebec Thurso is a city in Papineau Regional County Municipality in the Outaouais region of western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the Ottawa River, and is within Canada's National Capital Region. Its population was 3,084 as of the 2021 Canadian Cen ...
*
Plaisance, Quebec Plaisance is a municipality in Papineau Regional County Municipality in western Quebec, Canada. The village is situated on the Ottawa River near the mouth of the Petite-Nation River, 70 km from Gatineau and 160 km from Montreal on Ro ...
* Papineauville, Quebec *
Montebello, Quebec Montebello is a municipality located in the Papineau Regional County Municipality of Western Quebec, Canada. At the 2001 census, there were 1,039 permanent residents. The village has a total area of , and is located at the eastern edge of Quebec's ...
* Fassett, Quebec *
L'Orignal, Ontario L'Orignal () is a Franco-Ontarian village and former municipality, now part of Champlain Township in eastern Ontario, Canada. Its population in 2016 was 1,450. L'Orignal likely took its name from its location on the Ottawa River once known as ...
*
Grenville, Quebec Grenville is a village municipality in the Argenteuil Regional County Municipality of the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada. It is located opposite Hawkesbury, Ontario, on the Ottawa River. History Although Grenville was already shown on t ...
*
Hawkesbury, Ontario Hawkesbury is a Franco-Ontarian city in Prescott-Russell county in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The vast majority of its 10,550 inhabitants are francophone. The Long-Sault Bridge links it to Grenville, Quebec to the north. This bridge, crossing ...
* Carillon, Quebec * Saint-André-Est, Quebec *
Rigaud, Quebec Rigaud () is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada, in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality in Vallée-du-Haut-Saint-Laurent region. It is located at the junction of the Ottawa River and the Rigaud River, about west of downtown ...
*
Saint-Placide, Quebec Saint-Placide is a municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Deux-Montagnes Regional County Municipality, along the north shore of the Ottawa River. History In 1780, the first European settlers arrived here. In 1848, ...
*
Kanesatake Kanesatake (''Kanehsatà:ke'' in Mohawk) is a Mohawk (''Kanien'kéha:ka'' in Mohawk) settlement on the shore of the Lake of Two Mountains in southwestern Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Ottawa and Saint Lawrence rivers and about west of ...
*
Hudson, Quebec Hudson is an off-island suburb of Montreal, with a population of 5,135 ( 2011 Census). It is located on the south-west bank of the lower Ottawa River, in Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality. Situated about west of downtown Montreal, ...
*
Oka, Quebec Oka is a small village on the northern bank of the Ottawa River (''Rivière des Outaouais'' in French), northwest of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Located in the Laurentians valley on Lake of Two Mountains, where the Ottawa has its confluence with t ...
*
Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac, Quebec Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac (, literally ''Vaudreuil on the Lake'') is a village municipality in Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the western portion of the Vaudreuil Penin ...
*
Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec Vaudreuil-Dorion () is a suburb of Greater Montreal, in the Montérégie region of southwestern Quebec, Canada. The result of the merger of two towns, Vaudreuil and Dorion, it is located in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality. ...
* Pincourt, Quebec * Norway Bay, Quebec *
Pointe-des-Cascades, Quebec Pointe-des-Cascades () is a village municipality in Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada. It is located on a spit of land where the St. Lawrence River flows into Lake Saint-Louis. The rive ...


Islands


Ontario

* Alexandra Island * Aylmer Island * Basil Island * Bate Island * Beacon Island * Beckett Island * Bell Island * Big Island * Big Elbow Island * Bruyère Island * Burnt Island * Butternut Island * Carl Island * Cedar Island * Chapman Island * Chartrand Island * Chenaux Island * Christie Island * Clarence Island * Coreille Island * Corinne Island * Cornelius Island * Cotnam Island * Crab Islands * Cunningam Island * Cushing Island * Daisy Island * Davis Island * Deep River Islet * Demers Island * Dow Island * Dunlop Island * Dupras Island * Dutch Island *
Ellis Island Ellis Island is a federally owned island in New York Harbor, situated within the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, that was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States. From 1892 to 1954, nearly 12 mil ...
* Evelyn Island * Farr Island * Fish Island *
Fraser Island Fraser Island ( Butchulla: ) is a World Heritage-listed island along the south-eastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region, Queensland, Australia. The island is approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is within the Fras ...
* Fury Island *
Gibraltar Island Gibraltar Island (or the "Gem of Lake Erie") is an island in Ohio, located within Lake Erie. This small 6.55-acre (0.026 km²) island is just offshore of South Bass Island. It is part of Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio. The rocky ...
* Green Island * Gutzman Island * Hamilton Island * Haycock Island * Hazel Island * Hazelton Island * Hen Island * Hog Island * Houston Island * Île Chénier * Île du Chenail * Île Ste-Rosalie * Irving Island * Jamieson Island * John Joe Island * Kate Island * Kedey's Island * King Edward Island * Latour Island * Lemieux Island * Lillian Island *
Lorne Island Lorne is a given name and place name especially popular in Canada, due to the Marquess of Lorne, who was Governor General of Canada (1878–1883). Lorne may refer to: People Given name *Lorne Anderson (1931–1984), Canadian hockey player * Lorne ...
* Louise Island *
Lower Duck Island Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is situated about five miles south west of Dursley, eig ...
* Mackie Island * Man Island * Meadow Island * Merrill Island *Metcalf Island * Miller Island (Ottawa River), Miller Island * Morris Island (Ottawa), Morris Island * Oak Island (Ottawa River), Oak Island * O'Meara Island * Parker Island (Ottawa River), Parker Island * Pearl Island (Ottawa River), Pearl Island * Petrie Island * Pink Island * Poker Island * Princess Island (Ottawa River), Princess Island * Ramsey Island (Ontario), Ramsey Island * Randolph Island * Rempnouix Island * Riopelle Island * Rocher Capitaine Island * Ruby Islet * Sack's Island * Sandbar Island * Santa Island * Sawlog Island * Shoal Island * Short Turn Island * Steamer Island *Snake Island (Ottawa River), Snake Island * Sullivan Island (Ottawa River), Sullivan Island * Upper Duck Island * Victoria Island (Ottawa River), Victoria Island * Wabewawa Island * Willson Island *Windsor Island


Quebec

*L'Île *Île Allen *Île aux Allumettes *Île Armstrong *Île Avelle *Bald Rock (Quebec), Bald Rock *Île Béique *Îles Benny *Île Bernard *Île Bernardin *Île Berry *Île à Bertrand *Île Boom *Île Bray *Île Brisseau *Île Brunet *Île Bryson *Île Cadieux *Île Cobb *Île de Carillon *Île du Centre *Île du Chef *Île du Chenal Blind *Île du Chicot *Îles à Cole *Île du Collège *Île de la Compagnie *Île à Cowley *Île à Crépault *Île D'Arcy *Île Davidson *Île Dog *Île Dubé *Île à Everill *Île Fer à Cheval *Île du Finlandais *Îles Finlay *Île Fitzpatrick *Île au Foin *Île Fox (Pontiac) *Île Fox (Témiscamingue) *Île French *Île Frigon *Île Gagnon *Rocher à Gillis *Rochers aux Goélands *Île Graham *Île du Grand Calumet *Île Green *Île Greene *Île à Griffin *Île Harbec *Île Hemlock *Île Henry *Île Hiam *Île Jacey *Île John-Park *Île Jones *Îles Jumelles *Île Kettle *Île Lafleur *Île Lafontaine *Île Lasalle *Île à Lawn *Île Leblanc *Île Lemoine *Île Leroux *Île Lighthouse (L'Isle-aux-Allumettes) *Île Lighthouse (Bristol) *Île Limerick *Petite île Limerick *Île Lorelei *Île Mann *Île Marcotte *Île à Marion *Île Mohr *Île Morrison *Île Mulligan *Île O'Connor *Île Oscar-Béchamp *Île Oster *Île Paquin *Île à Payne *Îles Pelley *Île Philemon *Île Pigs *Île aux Pins *Île des Quinze *Île Rainville *Île des Rapides *Île du Refuge *Île Reid (Clarendon) *Île Reid (L'Isle-aux-Allumettes) *Île Rita *Île à Ritté *Île du Rocher Fendu *Île à Rouleau *Île à Roussin *Île de Sable *Petite île Sèche *La Semelle *Île Smith *Île Snake *Île des Soeurs (Témiscamingue), Île des Soeurs *Île Soulier *Île Squelette *Île Submergée *Île Sunset *Île Todd *Île à Tom *Île à Tom-Simon *Île aux Tourtes *Île Verte (Témiscamingue), Île Verte *Île Victoria *Île Wickens *Île Winneway *Île Woods *Île Wight *Île Young (Pontiac) *Île Young (Gatineau) *Île Yvette-Naubert


Geology

The Ottawa River lies in the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben, which is a Mesozoic rift valley that formed 175 million years ago. Much of the river flows through the Canadian Shield, although lower areas flow through limestone plains and glacial deposits.Chapman, L.J. and D.F. Putnam. 1984. The Physiography of Southern Ontario. Third edition. Ontario Geological Survey, Special Volume No.2. Government of Ontario, Toronto. As the glacier, glacial ice sheet began to retreat at the end of the last glacial period, last ice age, the Ottawa River valley, which, along with the
St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...
valley and Lake Champlain, had been depressed to below sea level by the glacier's weight, filled with sea water. The resulting arm of the Atlantic Ocean, ocean is known as the Champlain Sea. Fossil remains of marine life dating 12 to 10 thousand years ago have been found in marine clay throughout the region. Sand deposits from this era have produced vast plains, often dominated by pine forests, as well as localized areas of sand dunes, such as Westmeath and Constance Bay. Clay deposits from this period have resulted in areas of poor drainage, large swamps, and peat bogs in some ancient channels of this river. Hence, the distribution of forests and wetlands is very much a product of these past glacial events. Large deposits of a material commonly known as Quick clay, Leda clay also formed. These deposits become highly unstable after heavy rains. Numerous landslides have occurred as a result. The former site of the town of Lemieux, Ontario collapsed into the
South Nation River The South Nation River is a river in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It springs from forests and marshes located north of Brockville and it flows northeast to empty into the Ottawa River north of Plantagenet. Shows the river's course highlighted on a ...
in 1993. The town's residents had previously been relocated because of the suspected instability of the earth in that location. As the land gradually Isostatic rebound, rose again the sea coast retreated and the fresh water courses of today took shape. Following the demise of the Champlain Sea the Ottawa River Valley continued to drain the waters of the emerging Upper Great Lakes basin through Lake Nipissing and the
Mattawa River The Mattawa River is a river in central Ontario, Canada. It flows east from Trout Lake east of North Bay and enters the Ottawa River at the town of Mattawa. Counting from the head of Trout Lake, it is 76 km in length. The river's name come ...
. Owing to the ongoing uplift of the land, the eastward flow became blocked around 4000 years ago. Thereafter Lake Nipissing drained westward, through the French River (Ontario), French River which later became a link in the historic canoe route to the West.


History

As it does to this day, the river played a vital role in life of the Algonquin people, who lived throughout its watershed at contact. The river is called ''Kichisìpi'', meaning "Great River" in Algonquin language, Anicinàbemowin, the Algonquin language. The Algonquin define themselves in terms of their position on the river, referring to themselves as the Omàmiwinini, 'down-river people'. Although a majority of the Algonquin First Nation lives in Quebec, the entire Ottawa Valley is Algonquin traditional territory. Present settlement is a result of adaptations made as a result of settler pressures. Some early European explorers, possibly considering the Ottawa River to be more significant than the Upper St. Lawrence River, applied the name ''River Canada'' to the Ottawa River and the St. Lawrence River below the confluence at Montreal. As the extent of the Great Lakes became clear and the river began to be regarded as a tributary, it was variously known as the ''Grand River'', "Great River" or ''Grand River of the Algonquins'' before the present name was settled upon. This name change resulted from the Ottawa (tribe), Ottawa peoples' control of the river circa 1685. However, only one band of Ottawa, the Kinouncherpirini or Keinouch, ever inhabited the Ottawa Valley. In 1615, Samuel de Champlain and Étienne Brûlé, assisted by Algonquin guides, were the first Europeans to travel up the Ottawa River and follow the water route west along the Mattawa and French Rivers to the Great Lakes. See Canadian Canoe Routes (early). For the following two centuries, this route was used by France, French fur traders, voyageurs and coureurs des bois to Canada's interior. The river posed serious hazards to these travellers. The section near Head, Clara and Maria, Ontario, Deux Rivières used to have spectacular and wild rapids, namely the ''Rapide de la Veillée'', the ''Trou'', the ''Rapide des Deux Rivières'', and the ''Rapide de la Roche Capitaine''. (These rapids are now submerged under the reservoir of Holden Lake.) In 1800, explorer Daniel Harmon reported 14 crosses marking the deaths of voyageurs who had drowned in the dangerous waters along this section of the Ottawa.Ontario Heritage Foundation, Ministry of Culture and Communications The main trading posts along the river were: The Fur Trade at Lachine National Historic Site, Lachine, Fort-Coulonge, Quebec, Fort Coulonge, Sheenboro, Quebec, Lac des Allumettes, Mattawa, Ontario, Mattawa House, where west-bound canoes left the river and Fort Témiscamingue. From Lake Timiskaming a portage led north to the Abitibi River and James Bay. In the early 19th century, the Ottawa River and its tributaries were used to gain access to large virgin forests of Eastern White Pine, white pine. A booming Lumber industry on the Ottawa River, trade in timber developed, and large timber rafting, rafts of logs were floated down the river. A scattering of small subsistence farming communities developed along the shores of the river to provide manpower for the lumber camps in winter. In 1832, following the War of 1812, the Ottawa River gained strategic importance when the Carillon Canal was completed. Together with the Rideau Canal, the Carillon Canal was constructed to provide an alternate military supply route to Kingston, Ontario, Kingston and Lake Ontario, bypassing the route along the Saint Lawrence River. In 1907, the Public Services and Procurement Canada, Department of Public Works published a map proposing a shipping lane through the Georgian Bay Ship Canal route, which would connect Georgian Bay to the Ottawa River through Lake Nipissing and the Mattawa River.


Power generation

A pulp and paper mill (at Témiscaming) and several hydroelectricity, hydroelectric dams have been constructed on the river. In 1950, the dam at Rapides-des-Joachims, Quebec, Rapides-des-Joachims, was built, forming Holden Lake behind it and thereby submerging the rapids and portages at Deux Rivières. These hydro dams have had negative effects upon shoreline and wetland ecosystems, and are thought to also be responsible for the near extermination of American eels, which were once an abundant species in the river, but which are now uncommon. As an economic route, its importance was eclipsed by railroad and highways in the 20th century. It is no longer used for log driving, however, it is still extensively used for recreational boating. Some 20,000 pleasure boaters visit the Carillon Canal annually. Today, Outaouais Herald Emeritus at the Canadian Heraldic Authority is named after the river.


Hydroelectric installations

Hydroelectric installations on the Upper Ottawa (in downstream order): Lower Ottawa (in downstream order): * Ontario Power Generation operates generators 2, 3, 4, and 5 with a capacity of 96 MW; and Hydro-Québec operates generators 6, 7, 8, and 9 with a capacity of 89 MW.


See also

*Lac Deschênes *List of Ontario rivers *List of crossings of the Ottawa River *List of islands of Ontario#Ottawa River *List of longest rivers of Canada *Southern Ontario *Eastern Ontario *List of Quebec rivers *Rivière des Mille Îles *Rivière des Prairies


References


External links


Ottawa-Gatineau Watershed Atlas (OGWA)

Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board

Ottawa Riverkeeper




{{Authority control Ottawa River, Rivers of Ottawa Landforms of Gatineau Rivers of Montérégie Rivers of Outaouais Borders of Quebec Borders of Ontario