Groundhog River
Encyclopedia
The Groundhog River is a river in Cochrane District and Sudbury District in Northeastern
Ontario
, Canada
. The river is in the James Bay
drainage basin
and is a left tributary of the Mattagami River
.
The river begins at Horwood Lake in geographic Keith Township in the Unorganized North Part of Sudbury District. It flows northeast over the Ontario Power Generation
Horwood Lake Dam, used to control water flow and store water for hydroelectricity
generating stations downstream in the drainage basin, to Groundhog Lake, then north under the Canadian National Railway
transcontinental
main line
at the railway point and unincorporated place of Groundhog River, between the railway point of Joburke to the west and the community of Kukatush
to the east. The railway line is used by Via Rail
transcontinental Canadian trains, but none of these locations is served by the train. The river continues north under Ontario Highway 101, passes over the Upper Falls and series of unnamed cataracts and enters Cochrane District at geographic Enid Township. It continues north through the Flying Post 73 Indian Reserve, part of the Flying Post First Nation
, over unnamed cataracts, jogs west then again north over the course of the Six Mile Rapids and takes in the left tributary Ivanhoe River
and right tributary Nat River. The Groundhog River again jogs west, takes in the left tributary Otapingshewee River, then heads north through the Ten Mile Rapids, passes over the Carmichael Falls Generating Station and damand takes in the left tributary Wakusimi River. It heads around Bremner Island, and reaches the community of Fauquier in the incorporated township of Fauquier-Strickland
. It is crossed there by Ontario Highway 11 and by the Ontario Northland Railway
secondary main line
, formerly a Canadian National Railway
secondary line and originally the National Transcontinental Railway
transcontinental
main line. The river continues north around a series of small islands and the Dixon Rapids, Hamilton Rapids and La Duke Rapids, passes over the Whist Falls, and reaches its mouth at the Mattagami River in geographic Clay Township. The Mattagami River flows via the Moose River
to James Bay.
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...
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
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The river is in the James Bay
James Bay
James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are part of Nunavut...
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...
and is a left tributary of the Mattagami River
Mattagami River
The Mattagami River is a river in the James Bay drainage basin in Cochrane District, Timiskaming District and Sudbury District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada....
.
Course
For a map showing the river course, see this reference.The river begins at Horwood Lake in geographic Keith Township in the Unorganized North Part of Sudbury District. It flows northeast over the Ontario Power Generation
Ontario Power Generation
Ontario Power Generation is a public company wholly owned by the Government of Ontario. OPG is responsible for approximately 70% of the electricity generation in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Sources of electricity include nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, wind, and fossil fuel...
Horwood Lake Dam, used to control water flow and store water for hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
generating stations downstream in the drainage basin, to Groundhog Lake, then north under the 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"....
transcontinental
Transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
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....
at the railway point and unincorporated place of Groundhog River, between the railway point of Joburke to the west and the community of Kukatush
Kukatush, Ontario
Kukatush is a rail siding and ghost town in Unorganized North Part of Sudbury District, Ontario, Canada. It is located approximately west of Timmins . The elevation is ....
to the east. The railway line is used by Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
transcontinental Canadian trains, but none of these locations is served by the train. The river continues north under Ontario Highway 101, passes over the Upper Falls and series of unnamed cataracts and enters Cochrane District at geographic Enid Township. It continues north through the Flying Post 73 Indian Reserve, part of the Flying Post First Nation
Flying Post
Flying Post was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post located on the Kukatush or Groundhog River, a tributary of the Mattagami River. The post was approximately eighty miles downriver from Kukatush or Groundhog Lake, and one hundred miles upriver from the river's junction with the Mattagami...
, over unnamed cataracts, jogs west then again north over the course of the Six Mile Rapids and takes in the left tributary Ivanhoe River
Ivanhoe River
The Ivanhoe River is a river in Cochrane District and Sudbury District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. The river is in the James Bay drainage basin and is a left tributary of the Groundhog River.-Course:For a map showing the river course, see this reference....
and right tributary Nat River. The Groundhog River again jogs west, takes in the left tributary Otapingshewee River, then heads north through the Ten Mile Rapids, passes over the Carmichael Falls Generating Station and damand takes in the left tributary Wakusimi River. It heads around Bremner Island, and reaches the community of Fauquier in the incorporated township of Fauquier-Strickland
Fauquier-Strickland, Ontario
Fauquier-Strickland is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Cochrane District. The township had a population of 678 in the Canada 2001 Census. The three main communities in the township are Fauquier, Strickland, and Gregoires Mill...
. It is crossed there by Ontario Highway 11 and by the Ontario Northland Railway
Ontario Northland Railway
The Ontario Northland Railway is a Canadian railway operated by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, a provincial Crown agency of the government of Ontario....
secondary 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....
, formerly a 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"....
secondary line and originally the National Transcontinental Railway
National Transcontinental Railway
The National Transcontinental Railway was a historic Canadian railway between Winnipeg and Moncton. Much of the line is now operated by the Canadian National Railway.-The Grand Trunk partnership:...
transcontinental
Transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
main line. The river continues north around a series of small islands and the Dixon Rapids, Hamilton Rapids and La Duke Rapids, passes over the Whist Falls, and reaches its mouth at the Mattagami River in geographic Clay Township. The Mattagami River flows via the Moose River
Moose River (Ontario)
The Moose River is a Canadian river in the Hudson Plains ecozone of northern Ontario which flows 100 km northeast from the junction of the Mattagami and Missinaibi Rivers into James Bay. Its drainage basin is 108,500 km² and it has a mean discharge rate of 1370 m³/s. Its full length...
to James Bay.
Tributaries
- Beardmore Creek (right)
- Gauthier Creek (left)
- Wellington Creek (right)
- Nansen Creek (left)
- Bremner Creek (left)
- Wakusimi River (left)
- South Creek (right)
- Stringer Creek (right)
- Slack Creek (left)
- Hicks Creek (right)
- Otapingshewee River (left)
- Nat River (right)
- Montcalm Creek (right)
- Ivanhoe River (left)
- Scorch Creek (left)
- Vimy Creek (left)