The Hay River ( South Slavey: ) is a large river in northern

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...

and southern

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

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 originates in the

muskeg Muskeg (Ojibwe: mashkiig; cr, maskīk; french: fondrière de mousse, lit. ''moss bog'') is a peat-forming ecosystem found in several northern climates, most commonly in Arctic and boreal areas. Muskeg is approximately synonymous with bog or p ...

of north western Alberta, flows west to

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

, then curves northward and returns to Alberta, where it follows a north-northeast course towards the Northwest Territories. After passing over two main waterfalls, the Alexandra Falls and Louise Falls, it flows through the town of

Hay River Hay River may refer to: Places * Hay River, Northwest Territories * Hay River, Wisconsin Rivers * Hay River (Wisconsin) * Hay River (Canada), a river in Alberta and Northwest Territories, Canada * Hay River, Northern Territory, Australia * Hay R ...

and discharges into the

Great Slave Lake Great Slave Lake (french: Grand lac des Esclaves), known traditionally as Tıdeè in Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì (Dogrib), Tinde’e in Wıìlıìdeh Yatii / Tetsǫ́t’ıné Yatıé (Dogrib / Chipewyan), Tu Nedhé in Dëne Sųłıné Yatıé (Chi ...

. From there, its waters are carried to the

Arctic Ocean The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans. It spans an area of approximately and is known as the coldest of all the oceans. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) recognizes it as an ocean, a ...

by the Mackenzie River. Hay River has a total length of and a drainage area of . Tributaries of the Hay River are the Chinchaga River, Meander River (in South Slavey: ''Tahchee''), Steen River, Melvin River and Little Hay River. The Hay River effectively flows through the

Hay-Zama Lakes Hay-Zama Lakes is a inland wetland and wildland park in northwestern Alberta, Canada. It was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance on May 24, 1982, and is recognized as an Important Bird Area. It "constitutes one of the most ...

. Rainbow Lake is a widening of the river itself. Communities in the Hay River basin include Rainbow Lake, Zama City, Steen River, Indian Cabins (in South Slavey: ''Dzêtú'') in Alberta and

Enterprise Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to: Business and economics Brands and enterprises * Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company * Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company * Enterprise ...

and the homonymous Hay River in the Northwest Territories. There are two first nations communities in the river basin:

Chateh Chateh is an unincorporated community in northern Alberta Northern Alberta is a geographic region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. An informally defined cultural region, the boundaries of Northern Alberta are not fixed. Under some ...

and Meander River. At the Alberta – Northwest Territories border, the annual discharge is .Environment Alberta - River Basins

Tributaries

;

* Rainbow Lake ;

* Little Buffalo River **Bivouac Creek * Kotcho River ;

** Shekilie River **White Spruce Creek **Sahcho Creek **Townsoitoi Creek * Little Hay River **Fire Creek * Zama Lake **Sousa Creek **Moody Creek ** Zama River ** Omega River ** Amber River ** Mega River ** Vardie River *Adair Creek * Chinchaga River *Negus Creek *Henderson Creek * Meander River *Adair Creek *

Melvin River The Melvin River is an river in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of Lake Winnipesaukee, part of the Merrimack River watershed. The Melvin River lies entirely within the town of Tuftonboro. I ...

*Slavey Creek *

Roe River The Roe River runs from Giant Springs to the Missouri River near Great Falls, Montana, United States. The Roe River is only long at its longest constant point, and had been named as the World's Shortest River by the ''Guinness Book of World Re ...

*Lutose Creek *Little Rapids Creek * Steen River *Dizzy Creek *James Creek **Lessard Creek *Jackpot Creek ;

Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...

* Goose Egg Lakes *Swede Creek *Twin Falls Creek

References

External links

* {{authority control Rivers of Alberta Rivers of the Northwest Territories

Tributaries

See also

References

External links