Madawaska River (Ontario)

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This article is about the Madawaska River in Ontario. For other rivers named Madawaska, see Madawaska River.

Madawaska River
Upper Madawaska River at Whitney, Ontario
Origin	Source Lake
Mouth	Ottawa River at 45°26′34″N 76°20′55″W / 45.44278, -76.34861Coordinates: 45°26′34″N 76°20′55″W / 45.44278, -76.34861
Basin countries	Canada
Length	230 km (143 mi)
Mouth elevation	70 m (230 ft)
Avg. discharge	85 m³/s
Basin area	8,470 km² (3,270 sq mi)

The Madawaska River is a river in Ontario, Canada. The river is 230 km (143 mi) long and drains an area of 8,470 km² (3,270 sq mi).

It originates at Source Lake in the highlands of Algonquin Park at an elevation of 450 m (1,476 ft) and flows east, dropping 380 m (1,247 ft) before emptying into the Ottawa River at Arnprior.

The river's name comes from an Algonquin band of the region known as "Matouweskarini", meaning "people of the shallows". In the late 1800s, the river was used to transport lumber from the forested areas surrounding the river. Beginning in the 1960s, the river was used to generate hydroelectric power. Undammed sections of the river are also used for canoeing, kayaking and recreational fishing.

1 Tributaries
2 Provincial Parks
3 See also
4 Sources
5 External links

[edit] Tributaries

[edit] Provincial Parks

Two sections of the river are designated and protected as provincial waterway parks:

Upper Madawaska River Provincial Park, between Whitney and Madawaska; 10.85 km² (4.19 sq mi).
Lower Madawaska River Provincial Park, between Latchford Bridge and Griffith; 12 km² (5 sq mi).

Both parks are administered by Ontario Parks but are non-operating, meaning there are no visitor facilities or services available. Both are ideal for whitewater canoeing.