The Whitesand River is a river in Thunder Bay District

Thunder Bay District, Ontario

Thunder Bay District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district seat is Thunder Bay....

, 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...

, part of the Hewitson River

Hewitson River

The Hewitson River is a short river in Thunder Bay District, northwestern Ontario, Canada.-Course:The river begins at Whitesand Lake and flows over a series of falls, called the Rainbow Falls, then is crossed by Highway 17, and finally flows into Lake Superior. The mouth is about east of the...

 system. Another river in Thunder Bay District with the same name, Whitesand River (Lake Nipigon)

Whitesand River (Lake Nipigon)

The Whitesand River is a river in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada, that flows south into the northwest side of Lake Nipigon. Another river in Thunder Bay District with the same name, Whitesand River , lies further southeast and flows into Lake Superior via the Hewitson River.-Course:The river...

, lies further northwest and flows into Lake Nipigon

Lake Nipigon

Lake Nipigon is the largest lake entirely within the boundaries of the Canadian province of Ontario . It is sometimes described as the sixth Great Lake. Lying 260 metres above sea level, the lake drains into the Nipigon River and thence into Nipigon Bay of Lake Superior...

.

Course

The river arises from two source forks. The east fork (listed as the primary source in the Infobox) begins in a small unnamed lake just upstream of North Whitesand Lake

North Whitesand Lake

North Whitesand Lake is a lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Whitesand River system. It is about long and wide, and lies at an elevation of . The primary inflow and outflow is the Whitesand River....

 at an elevation of 527 metres (1,729 ft). The west fork (listed as the secondary source in the Infobox) begins in a small unnamed lake at an elevation of 502 metres (1,647 ft). The forks join at 48°58′49"N 87°21′49"W at an elevation of 472 metres (1,549 ft) at the site of a mine.

The Whitesand River then travels downstream via a series of lakes, including Cleaver Lake, Zenith Lake

Zenith Lake (Ontario)

Zenith Lake is a lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is about long and wide, and lies at an elevation of . The primary inflow and outflow is the Whitesand River, and the lake is immediately downstream of Cleaver Lake....

, Demijohn Lake

Demijohn Lake (Ontario)

Demijohn Lake is a "J"-shaped lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is about long and wide, and lies at an elevation of . The primary inflow and outflow is the Whitesand River....

, Gumboot Lake

Gumboot Lake (Ontario)

Gumboot Lake is a lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is about long and wide, and lies at an elevation of about northwest of the community of Schreiber. The primary inflow and outflow is the Whitesand River, which flows downstream to Longcanoe Lake....

, Longcanoe Lake

Longcanoe Lake

Longcanoe Lake is a narrow lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada about north-east of the community of Rossport and north of Highway 17. It is oriented in a north-south direction and is about long and at its widest, at its north end...

 and Hornblende Lake

Hornblende Lake

Hornblende Lake is a lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is about long and wide, and lies at an elevation of . The primary inflow is the Whitesand River flowing downstream from Longcanoe Lake, and the primary outflow is also the Whitesand River, which flows downstream into Lyne Lake....

. It then takes in its left tributary Ross Creek at Lyne Lake

Lyne Lake (Ontario)

Lyne Lake is a lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is about long and wide, and lies at an elevation of . The primary inflows are the Whitesand River, flowing downstream from Hornblende Lake, as well as Ross Creek, and the outflow is the Whitesand River downstream to the river's...

 at 48°53′17"N 87°21′14"W at an elevation of 295 metres (968 ft), and reaches its mouth at Whitesand Lake

Whitesand Lake (Hewitson River)

Whitesand Lake is a lake in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada, part of the Hewitson River system. Another lake in Thunder Bay District with the same name, Whitesand Lake , lies further northwest and flows via the Whitesand River into Lake Nipigon.Whitesand Lake is just north of Highway 17,...

 at an elevation of 283 metres (928 ft) just north of Highway 17

Highway 17 (Ontario)

King's Highway 17, more commonly known as Highway 17, is a provincially maintained highway and the primary route of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Canadian province of Ontario. It begins at the Manitoba border west of Kenora and ends south of Arnprior at the western terminus of Highway 417, ...

. The mouth is about 8 kilometres (5 mi) east northeast of the community of Rossport

Rossport, Ontario

Rossport is a locality on the north shore of Lake Superior in Thunder Bay District, Northwestern Ontario. A designated place served by a local services board, Rossport had a population of 66 in the Canada 2006 Census, a decrease of 41.1% since 2001.-History:...

 and 10 kilometres (6 mi) northwest of the community of Schreiber

Schreiber, Ontario

Schreiber is a municipal township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on the northernmost point of Lake Superior along Highway 17. The town, with a population of approximately 900 people, is almost completely located inside the geographic township of Priske, with a small western portion of...

. The Whitesand River's waters flow from Whitesand Lake via the Hewitson River over the Rainbow Falls into Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...

.

Economy

An access road to the mine runs from Highway 17 along the river. A campground of Rainbow Falls Provincial Park

Rainbow Falls Provincial Park

Rainbow Falls Provincial Park is a recreation-class provincial park within the Ontario Parks system. This park includes the historic Rossport Campground which is near the fishing community of Rossport, Ontario...

is on the south side of Whitesand Lake opposite the mouth of the Whitesand River.