Coppermine River
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Coppermine River is a river in Fort Smith and Kitikmeot regions of Nunavut in Canada. It is 525 miles (845 km) long. It rises in a small lake near Great Slave Lake and flows generally north to Coronation Gulf, an arm of the Arctic Ocean. The river freezes in winter and is unnavigable because of rapids and falls in warmer seasons.
The community of Kugkluktuk (formerly Coppermine) is located at the river's mouth.
The river was named for the copper nuggets which could be found along the lower river. Samuel Hearne travelled down the river to the Arctic Ocean in 1771. Sir John Franklin also travelled down the river while exploring the Canadian Arctic.
The river is used for wilderness canoeing and rafting and is the namesake of Coppermine Herald at the Canadian Heraldic Authority.