Gull River (Balsam Lake)

Last updated
Gull River
Coboconk ON.JPG
Gull River at Coboconk
Gull River watershed.png
The Gull River drainage basin
Canada Southern Ontario relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location of the mouth of the Gull River in southern Ontario.
Location
Country Canada
Province Ontario
County Haliburton
Municipalities
Physical characteristics
SourceLongboot Lake
 • locationSouthern Algonquin Provincial Park in Dysart et al, Haliburton County
 • coordinates 45°13′16″N78°16′00″W / 45.22111°N 78.26667°W / 45.22111; -78.26667
 • elevation457 m (1,499 ft)
Mouth Balsam Lake
 • location
 Coboconk, Kawartha Lakes
 • coordinates
 44°38′28″N78°48′19″W / 44.64111°N 78.80528°W / 44.64111; -78.80528 Coordinates: 44°38′28″N78°48′19″W / 44.64111°N 78.80528°W / 44.64111; -78.80528
 • elevation
256.3 m (841 ft)
Discharge 
 • average20 m3/s (710 cu ft/s)
 • minimum12 m3/s (420 cu ft/s)
 • maximum27 m3/s (950 cu ft/s)
Basin features
River system Great Lakes Basin
Tributaries 
 • rightBoshkung River, Kennisis River, Redstone River

The Gull River is a river in Algonquin Highlands and Dysart et al, Haliburton County and the single-tier municipality of Kawartha Lakes in south-central Ontario, Canada. It is in the Trent River and Lake Ontario drainage basins, and flows from southern Algonquin Provincial Park to Balsam Lake on the Trent–Severn Waterway.

Contents

Etymology

While there are no sources as to the naming of the Gull river, one of the possible origins is a translation of the name of the village of Coboconk. The name is translated from the Indian (Likely Ojibwa) term, Quash-qua-be-conk, meaning "where the gulls nest." [1] The town of Minden, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) north, was named Gull River prior to April 1, 1859. [2]

Course

The Gull River begins at Longboot Lake in the geographic township of Bruton in Dysart et al, Haliburton County. This is in the southern arm of Algonquin Provincial Park, and just south of the York River in the Ottawa River drainage basin. [3] The river leaves the lake at the southeast and loops east, south, west and north west to Percy Lake.

History

The Gull River drainage basin is an important reservoir for the Trent–Severn Waterway. The lakes of the system were flooded during the 1800s by man-made cofferdams in order to preserve the flow of the river throughout the year. [4] While the original purpose of this was to aid lumberjacks — who were cutting pine, spruce and hemlock in the area — in sending logs downstream to Trenton after the initial spring flooding had subsided, it would serve a dual purpose when the lock between Balsam Lake and Cameron Lake was completed in 1873, connecting Trenton with Coboconk. Balsam lake was raised 5 metres to provide enough depth for steamboats passing through the lock. [4]

Since that time, the Gull River has been an integral part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. The water levels of the lakes in the drainage basin are closely monitored in order to preserve the reservoir year-round, as well as to protect the cottage lands adjacent to the lakes. Lake levels generally swell during the spring thaw and late fall, and settle back to normal by mid-June. The lowest water levels are in late winter. [5]

Most of the lake front property on the lower sections of the Gull River system was divided into deep narrow lots in the 1830s, [6] unlike the regular-sized concessions in the adjacent land. These properties would in time develop into the many cottages that dot the lakes today.

Geology

The river's lowest and southernmost lake, Silver Lake, lies upon the boundary line between the granite Canadian Shield, and the Limestone sheaths which lie south of it. The lakes and rivers north of Silver Lake twist and wind between the mountains and valleys created by the retreating glaciers at the end of the ice age. The result is the spectacular and pristine wilderness that has earned Highway 35, that passes through the drainage basin, a reputation as one of the most scenic highways of Ontario. [7]

Recreation

An artificial white water course was constructed through Minden and has earned the river a reputation amongst enthusiasts and kayakers. [8]

Tributaries

See also

Related Research Articles

Coboconk Village in Ontario, Canada

Coboconk is a community in the city of Kawartha Lakes, in the south-central portion of the Canadian province of Ontario. The village lies at the junction of Highway 35 and former Highway 48, on the northern tip of Balsam Lake, the highest point on the Trent–Severn Waterway. Coboconk has a prominent role in the logging, limestone, and tourism industries of the Kawartha Lakes region over the past 150 years.

Kawartha Lakes City in Ontario, Canada

The City of Kawartha Lakes is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. It is a municipality legally structured as a single-tier city; however, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontario county and is mostly rural. It is the second largest single-tier municipality in Ontario by land area.

York River (Ontario) River in Ontario, Canada

The York River is a river in Renfrew County, Hastings County and Haliburton County in Ontario, Canada. The river is in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin, and flows from the southern extension of Algonquin Provincial Park to the Madawaska River.

Central Ontario Secondary region in Ontario, Canada

Central Ontario is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario that lies between Georgian Bay and the eastern end of Lake Ontario.

Minden Hills Township in Ontario, Canada

Minden Hills is a township in and the county seat of Haliburton County, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgam of the townships of Snowdon, Lutterworth, Anson, Hindon and Minden. It is usually referred to as Minden, after its largest community.

Balsam Lake (Ontario) Lake in southern Ontario, Canada

Balsam Lake is a lake in the City of Kawartha Lakes in Central Ontario, Canada. It is in the Great Lakes Basin, is one of the lakes of the Kawartha Lakes, and is at the summit of the Trent–Severn Waterway.

There are several places named Gull River:

King's Highway 35, also known as Highway 35, is a provincial highway in the Canadian province of Ontario, linking Highway 401 with Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, and Algonquin Park. The highway travels from west of Newcastle, through Lindsay and the Kawarthas and into Haliburton before terminating at Highway 60 to the west of Algonquin Park. The winding course of the highway, combined with the picturesque views offered along its length, have led some to declare it the most scenic highway in Ontario.

Jack Lake (Peterborough County)

Jack Lake is a lake and reservoir in the municipalities of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen and North Kawartha, Peterborough County in Central Ontario, Canada, about 100 mi (160 km) directly northeast of Toronto and at the edge of the Canadian Shield in the northeastern portion of the Kawartha lakes region. The lake is in the Great Lakes Basin, and serves as a small headwater pond for the Trent-Severn Waterway. The Dispersed rural community of Jack Lake is on the northwest shore of the lake, reached by Peterborough County Road 52 / Jack Lake Road from the community of Apsley, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the north on Ontario Highway 28.

Rosedale, Ontario Dispersed Rural Community in Ontario, Canada

Rosedale is a Dispersed Rural Community and unincorporated place located in the city of Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada, 29 kilometres (18 mi) north-west of Lindsay. It is partly in geographic Fenelon Township and partly in Somerville Township, and is on the Rosedale River, part of the Trent–Severn Waterway, where that river drains Balsam Lake on its way to Cameron Lake.

The Opeongo Hills are a range of hills in Southern Ontario, near Algonquin Provincial Park. The hills stretch from Opeongo Lake in Algonquin Park in the west, along the Madawaska and Opeongo Rivers, towards the Opeongo Colonization Road, and extending towards the Deacon Escarpment, Bonnechere, Ontario, and Dacre in the east. To the east of the Opeongo Hills lie the Madawaska River valley, the Mississippi River Valley, and the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben along the Ottawa River. Its tallest peak is roughly 7 km northeast of Highway 60. At roughly 586 meters, it is the tallest point in Southern Ontario. The community of Foymount is one of the highest settlements in Southern Ontario.

Balsam Lake Provincial Park

Balsam Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park located in south-central Ontario on Balsam Lake. The park is situated along the Trent-Severn Waterway, a few kilometres southwest of Coboconk. It is an all-seasons recreation area offering camping, boating and fishing, and while closed in winter it is also used for skiing and snowshoeing.

Head Lake (Haliburton County)

Head Lake is a lake in the village of Haliburton, in Haliburton County, Ontario, Canada. Haliburton Village is in south central Ontario, about 25 km (15 mi) east of the village of Minden and approximately 50 km (31 mi) south-west of the panhandle of Algonquin Park. From Ontario's largest city, Toronto, it is just over 200 km (124 mi) to Haliburton, and from the national capital of Ottawa, it is about 300 km (186 mi).

Boshkung Lake

Boshkung Lake, also known by its historic name Lake Boshkung, or affectionately as 'Big Boshkung', is a lake in the township of Algonquin Highlands, Haliburton County in Central Ontario, Canada. It is located near Buttermilk Falls and has been a common cottage and recreation destination with a rich history that includes: logging, camping, and even some farming activities.

Redstone Lake (Haliburton County)

Redstone Lake is a lake located in geographic Guilford Township in the Municipality of Dysart et al, Haliburton County in Central Ontario, Canada. It is in the Great Lakes Basin and is part of the Gull River system. At its longest, it is approximately 6.5km.

Silver Lake (Kawartha Lakes) Lake in southern Ontario, Canada

Silver Lake is a small lake in the city of Kawartha Lakes in Central Ontario, Canada. Located near the community of near Coboconk, it is the lowest lake on the Gull River, a drainage basin that supplies water at its mouth to Balsam Lake at the top of the Trent-Severn Waterway. Like many other lakes in the Kawarthas, Silver Lake lies in a depression formed between the Precambrian granite to the north, and the Ordovician limestone to the south.

King's Highway 121, commonly referred to as Highway 121, was a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario that connected several communities in the cottage country region of Central Ontario on the southern edge of the Canadian Shield. Between Fenelon Falls and Minden, Highway 121 served as an alternative route to Highway 35, which was severely congested during summer weekends. From Minden, the highway branched east to Haliburton Village and thereafter followed the present route of Highway 118 to Highway 28 in Paudash.

Redstone River (Haliburton County, Ontario)

The Redstone River is a river in the municipality of Dysart et al, Haliburton County in central Ontario, Canada that flows from southern Algonquin Provincial Park to the Gull River.

North River may refer to one of five rivers in Ontario, Canada:

Irondale River

The Irondale River is a river in Haliburton County in Central Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Great Lakes Basin, and is a left tributary of the Burnt River.

References

  1. ↑ "A Phantom Village, Victoria County, Ontario Canada". Canadian Genealogy. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  2. ↑ Murray, Florence Beatrice (1963). Muskoka and Haliburton 1615-1875: A Collection of Documents. Publications of the Champlain Society, Ontario series, number 6. Toronto: Champlain Society for the Government of Ontario. OCLC   166620505.
  3. ↑ McMurtrie, Jeffrey (2008). "Algonquin Provincial Park and the Haliburton Highlands". Wikimedia Commons. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  4. 1 2 Angus, James T (1988). A Respectable Ditch. A History of the Trent-Severn Waterway, 1833-1920. Kingston, Ont: McGill-Queen's University Press. pp. 139–141. ISBN   978-0-7735-0597-1. OCLC   19519316 . Retrieved 2009-07-07.
  5. ↑ "Water Levels". Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site of Canada. Parks Canada . Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  6. ↑ "Hell's Half Acre, Victoria County, Ontario Canada". Canadian Genealogy. Retrieved 2010-07-28.
  7. ↑ 1993 Ontario Road map which designates "scenic highways".
  8. ↑ "The Gull River". Whitewater Ontario. Retrieved 2009-08-09.

Sources

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