The Southwest Miramichi River is a river in

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

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 tot ...

. The river has its origin in

Carleton County Carleton County (2016 population 26,220) is located in west-central New Brunswick, Canada. The western border is Aroostook County, Maine, Aroostook County, Maine, the northern border is Victoria County, New Brunswick, Victoria County, and the ...

, at Miramichi Lake in the Miramichi Highlands (a part of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

). Its two branches join near the hamlet of Juniper, Carleton County. Flowing initially southeast through heavy forests and large hills, the Southwest Miramichi River enters Northumberland County, is joined by the

Taxis River A taxis (; ) is the movement of an organism in response to a stimulus such as light or the presence of food. Taxes are innate behavioural responses. A taxis differs from a tropism (turning response, often growth towards or away from a stimul ...

at Boiestown then the larger volume flows northeast. The river is tidal below

Renous-Quarryville Renous-Quarryville (2020 population: 1188) is a Canadian local service district in Northumberland County, New Brunswick. It is located 25 mi upstream of Miramichi, and is situated where the Renous River, and the Indiantown brook. discharges i ...

. The Southwest Miramichi River joins the

Northwest Miramichi River The Northwest Miramichi River or Elmunokun is a river in New Brunswick, Canada. The Mi'kmaq referred to the river as Elmunokun, possibly meaning "a beaver hole" in reference to a deep pool in the river, just below the mouth of the Big Sevogle Ri ...

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...

to form the

Miramichi River The Miramichi River is a river located in the east-central part of New Brunswick, Canada. The river drains into Miramichi Bay in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The name may have been derived from the Montagnais words "Maissimeu Assi" (meaning Mi'km ...

. The river is noted for

Atlantic Salmon The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlantic salmon are ...

fishing. It is navigable by

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the term ...

throughout much of its length. Nearly every bend in the river, for example

Push and Be Damned Rapids "Push and Be Damned Rapids" is the evocative name for rapids on the Southwest Miramichi River, one of the many tributaries of the Miramichi River, New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen prov ...

, has a distinctive name reflecting the importance of the river to fishermen, canoeists, and lumbermen. It is sometimes referred to as the "Main Southwest Miramichi River" to distinguish it from the

Little Southwest Miramichi River The Little Southwest Miramichi River is a river in Northumberland County, New Brunswick, Canada. In Mi'kmaq it is referred to as "Tooadook". This river has its origins at Gover Lake in the Miramichi Highlands, part of the Appalachian Mountain ...

, a smaller, more northerly branch of the

system. The

Mi'kmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the northe ...

referred to the river as ''Lustagoocheech'', meaning "good little river" for canoeing.Geographical Names of Canada

Tributaries

* North Branch Southwest Miramichi River * South Branch Southwest Miramichi River *

Cains River The Cains River is a river in New Brunswick, Canada. It is 113 kilometres long. The Cains River has its origins in the " Bantalor Wildlife Management Area" in the eastern part of York County, near the boundary with Sunbury County. Generally flowi ...

* Bartholomew River *

Renous River The Renous River is a tributary of the Southwest Miramichi River in New Brunswick, Canada. The Renous River has its origins south of Holmes Lake in the Miramichi Highlands, part of the Appalachian Mountains, in the northwest corner of Northum ...

Barnaby River The Barnaby River is a tributary of the Miramichi River in New Brunswick, Canada. The Barnaby River rises in southern Northumberland County, close to the Kent County, New Brunswick boundary and flows north and west into the south side of the Sout ...

References

Rivers of New Brunswick Landforms of Northumberland County, New Brunswick {{NewBrunswick-river-stub

Tributaries

See also

References