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Barron River (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
The Barron River is a river in the Saint Lawrence River
drainage basin
in Nipissing District and Renfrew County, Ontario
, Canada. It flows from Clemow Lake in northern Algonquin Provincial Park
and joins the Petawawa River
, whose southern branch it forms, in the municipality of Laurentian Hills, near the municipality of Petawawa.
of Nipissing District, Northeastern Ontario
. It flows southeast through Grand Lake
where it is crossed by the former Canadian Northern Railway
later Canadian National Railway
main line
, now abandoned, and where the Achray
campground, formerly a station on the railway, is located on the north shore. It passes into Stratton Township, takes in the right tributary Carcajou Creek, then flows out over the Grand Lake Dam and again under the railway to enter Stratton Lake. The river turns northeast, passes over High Falls to High Falls Lake, then heads east over Brigham Chute. It takes in the right tributary Mulock Creek, enters Master Township, passes over the Cache Rapids, and reaches the Squirrel Depot picnic area and the Squirrel Rapids. The river heads out of Algonquin Park and Nipissing District into McKay Township, part of the municipality of Laurentian Hills in Renfrew County, Eastern Ontario
. At this point the river becomes part of Barron River Provincial Park, a non-operating waterway park, and the north shore is part of CFB Petawawa
. The river passes over First Chute and reaches its mouth at Lac du Bois Dur on the Petawawa River, which flows to the Ottawa River, about 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) west of the community of Black Bay and just before the border with the municipality of Petawawa. The Petawawa Rivers flows via the Ottawa River
to the Saint Lawrence River.
. The 100 metres (328 ft) deep Barron Canyon was formed during that time. The rocks exposed in the Canyon are part of the Canadian Shield
. The canyon itself still shows activity in the form of rockfalls and landslides.
The Barron River lies inside a fault associated with the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben
.
and onwards. The Barron Canyon was the scene of noisy log drives
every spring. The name the loggers used for the towering cliffs was the "Capes". Moving timber in this way was a dangerous task and evidence can be found by the graves still found on the edge of the Petawawa and Barron Rivers.
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
in Nipissing District and Renfrew County, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada. It flows from Clemow Lake in northern Algonquin Provincial Park
Algonquin Provincial Park
Algonquin Provincial Park is a provincial park located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Central Ontario, Canada, mostly within the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District. Established in 1893, it is the oldest provincial park in Canada. Additions since its creation have increased...
and joins the Petawawa River
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 Petawawa...
, whose southern branch it forms, in the municipality of Laurentian Hills, near the municipality of Petawawa.
Course
The river begins at Clemow Lake in the geographic township of Barron in the Unorganized South PartNipissing, Unorganized, South Part, Ontario
Unorganized Nipissing South Part is an unorganized area in north-central Ontario, in the District of Nipissing. It makes up a large area and includes most of Algonquin Provincial Park.-Communities:*Acanthus*Achray*Brent*Canoe Lake*Coristine*Daventry...
of Nipissing District, Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and east of Lakes Superior and Huron.Northeastern Ontario consists of the districts of Algoma, Sudbury, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Nipissing and Manitoulin; and the single-tier municipality of Greater...
. It flows southeast through Grand Lake
Grand Lake (Nipissing)
Grand Lake is a lake in the Ottawa River drainage basin in the geographic townships of Barron and Stratton in the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada....
where it is crossed by the former Canadian Northern Railway
Canadian Northern Railway
The Canadian Northern Railway is a historic Canadian transcontinental railway. At its demise in 1923, when it was merged into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.-Manitoba beginnings:CNoR had its start in...
later Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
main line
Main line (railway)
The Mainline or Main line of a railway is a track that is used for through trains or is the principal artery of the system from which branch lines, yards, sidings and spurs are connected....
, now abandoned, and where the Achray
Achray, Ontario
Achray is an unincorporated place and former railway point in geographic Stratton Township in the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District in northeastern Ontario, Canada...
campground, formerly a station on the railway, is located on the north shore. It passes into Stratton Township, takes in the right tributary Carcajou Creek, then flows out over the Grand Lake Dam and again under the railway to enter Stratton Lake. The river turns northeast, passes over High Falls to High Falls Lake, then heads east over Brigham Chute. It takes in the right tributary Mulock Creek, enters Master Township, passes over the Cache Rapids, and reaches the Squirrel Depot picnic area and the Squirrel Rapids. The river heads out of Algonquin Park and Nipissing District into McKay Township, part of the municipality of Laurentian Hills in Renfrew County, Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario
Eastern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies in a wedge-shaped area between the Ottawa River and St. Lawrence River...
. At this point the river becomes part of Barron River Provincial Park, a non-operating waterway park, and the north shore is part of CFB Petawawa
CFB Petawawa
Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, commonly referred to as CFB Petawawa, or simply "Pet", is a Canadian Forces Base located in Petawawa, Ontario. It is operated as an army base by Canadian Forces Land Force Command.-Base facts:...
. The river passes over First Chute and reaches its mouth at Lac du Bois Dur on the Petawawa River, which flows to the Ottawa River, about 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) west of the community of Black Bay and just before the border with the municipality of Petawawa. The Petawawa Rivers flows via the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
to the Saint Lawrence River.
Geology
Approximately 10,000 years ago, the river was a main outlet for glacial meltwater in this region. It is believed to have carried for a short time the outflow from the Lake AgassizLake Agassiz
Lake Agassiz was an immense glacial lake located in the center of North America. Fed by glacial runoff at the end of the last glacial period, its area was larger than all of the modern Great Lakes combined, and it held more water than contained by all lakes in the world today.-Conception:First...
. The 100 metres (328 ft) deep Barron Canyon was formed during that time. The rocks exposed in the Canyon are part of the Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
. The canyon itself still shows activity in the form of rockfalls and landslides.
The Barron River lies inside a fault associated with the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben
Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben
The Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben , with its branch the Timiskaming Graben, is an ancient rift valley in the Canadian Shield of Northeastern Ontario and Quebec, Canada. This rift valley was formed when the Earth's crust moved downward about a kilometre between two major fault zones known as the Mattawa...
.
History
The river was an important highway during the last part of the 19th century and early 20th century when its water levels were carefully manipulated to facilitate the transport of timber to the Ottawa RiverOttawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
and onwards. The Barron Canyon was the scene of noisy log drives
Log driving
Log driving is a means of log transport which makes use of a river's current to move floating tree trunks downstream to sawmills and pulp mills.It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America...
every spring. The name the loggers used for the towering cliffs was the "Capes". Moving timber in this way was a dangerous task and evidence can be found by the graves still found on the edge of the Petawawa and Barron Rivers.
Recreation
A popular canoe route passes through and a hiking trail leads to the edge of the Barron Canyon.Tributaries
in upstream order- Spug Creek (left)
- Biggar Creek (left)
- Number One Creek (right)
- Ignace Creek (left)
- Mulock Creek (right)
- Hardwood Creek (left)
- Forbes Creek (left)
- Marie Creek (right)
- Grand Lake
- Carcajou Creek (right)
- Johnston Creek (left)
- Rowan Creek (left)
- Borutski Creek (left)
- Depot Creek (left)