Nipigon River | |
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![]() Nipigon River viewed to the south, with Nipigon Bay in the distance | |
![]() Map of original Nipigon River basin, not including the diverted basin | |
Location | |
Canada | |
Province | Ontario |
District | Thunder Bay |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | Lake Nipigon |
• coordinates | 49°27′35″N 88°13′00″W / 49.45972°N 88.21667°W |
• elevation | 259 m (850 ft) |
Mouth | Nipigon Bay |
• location | Red Rock |
• coordinates | 48°57′42″N 88°15′00″W / 48.96167°N 88.25000°W |
• elevation | 184 m (604 ft) |
Length | 48 km (30 mi)[1] |
Basin size | 25,400 km2 (9,800 sq mi)[2] |
Discharge | |
• location | Alexander Generating Station |
• average | 350 m3/s (12,000 cu ft/s)[3] |
Basin features | |
River system | Great Lakes Basin |
Waterbodies | Helen Lake |
Bridges | Nipigon River Bridge, CP Railway Bridge |
The Nipigon River is located in Thunder Bay District in Northwestern Ontario, Canada.[4] The river is about 48 km (30 mi) long[1] (or 209 kilometres (130 mi) when measured to the head of Ombabika River[2]) and 50 to 200 m (160 to 660 ft) wide[citation needed], and flows from Lake Nipigon to Nipigon Bay on Lake Superior at the community of Red Rock, dropping from an elevation of 260 to 183 m (853 to 600 ft). It is the largest tributary of Lake Superior.[5]
Since 1943, 14,360 square kilometres (5,545 sq mi) of the Ogoki River basin has been diverted to the headwaters of the Little Jackfish River, a tributary of Lake Nipigon. This diversion increases the size of the river's watershed by almost 60% to 39,760 square kilometres (15,350 sq mi), and contributes an average of about 116 cubic metres per second (4,100 cu ft/s) to the Nipigon River.[6][7] This increased flow has caused significant erosion and landslides along the river.[5]