Moon River (Ontario)

Last updated
Moon River
Moon river falls at woods bay.jpg
The main falls of Moon River Falls where it empties into Moon River Bay, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron
Canada Southern Ontario relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location of the mouth of the river in Southern Ontario
EtymologyFrom the Ojibwa moonz-ziibi, "moose river"
Location
Country Canada
Province Ontario
Region Central Ontario
District Muskoka
Municipalities
Physical characteristics
Source Lake Muskoka
 • location Bala, Muskoka Lakes
 • coordinates 45°00′49″N79°36′51″W / 45.013476178089455°N 79.61427288570181°W / 45.013476178089455; -79.61427288570181 [1]
 • elevation225 m (738 ft)
Mouth Georgian Bay
 • location
 Georgian Bay, Ontario
 • coordinates
 45°06′57″N79°58′12″W / 45.11583°N 79.97000°W / 45.11583; -79.97000 Coordinates: 45°06′57″N79°58′12″W / 45.11583°N 79.97000°W / 45.11583; -79.97000 [2]
 • elevation
176 m (577 ft)
Basin features
River system Great Lakes Basin
Tributaries 
 • right Haggart Creek

The Moon River is a river in the municipalities of Georgian Bay and Muskoka Lakes, District Municipality of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada. [2] [1] [3] [4] [5] It flows from Lake Muskoka at the community of Bala to Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, south of Parry Sound. The name of the river is thought to be derived from its Ojibwa name moonz-ziibi, which means "moose river".

Contents

Course

Bala Falls at the head of the Moon River Bala ON 2.JPG
Bala Falls at the head of the Moon River

The river begins at the Bala Falls in the community of Bala, where those falls drain Lake Muskoka. The river heads northeast, passes through Moon Chute, at which point the Musquash River diverges to the south. The river continues northeast and passes into Wahta Mohawk Territory, flows over the Island Portage Falls, takes in the right tributary Haggart Creek, [6] and passes into the municipality of Georgian Bay. The Moon River continues northeast, flows over Jack Knife Rapids then under Ontario Highway 400, and passes through Moon River Conservation Reserve. [7] It enters the Lower Moon River Conservation Reserve (which continues to the river mouth), [8] passes over the Twin Rapids, flows past the community of Moon River, and reaches its mouth at Arnolds Bay [9] on Georgian Bay, Lake Huron.

The section of the Moon River from Bala to Moon Chute and the Musquash River were officially considered to be a continuation of the Muskoka River until 1968. [2]

Natural history

This area around Moon River is known to be the home of the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, one of the few rattlesnake species found in Canada.

Recreational opportunities

The Moon River is a traditional canoe route passing through provincial conservation reserves named Moon River and Lower Moon River. Lower Moon River Conservation Reserve is also accessible by power boat from Georgian Bay to the base of Moon Falls. Crown land camping occurs at sites along the river, and below Moon Falls. Both sites are used for a variety of hunting activities, and angling for a variety of fish species occurs throughout both sites. [10]

Floods

In Spring of 2013 Muskoka Lakes region experienced a flood that at the time was touted as “the worst flooding in 100 years”. [11] The flood of 2019 measurably exceeded the levels of the 2013 flooding.

Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport Canada, issued an interim order on April 30, 2019 prohibiting all non-emergency vessels from Moon River due to flooding. [12] On that day Moon River was discharging at the rate of up to 361 m³/s, a flow sufficient to fill up an Olympic size swimming pool in under seven seconds. Regular regulated summer time discharge rate of Moon River is approximately 5 m³/s. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

Bala, Ontario Compact rural community in Ontario, Canada

Bala is a compact rural community in the township municipality of Muskoka Lakes, District Municipality of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada. It is well-known for the Bala Falls, the source of the Moon River, which flows from Lake Muskoka to the Georgian Bay.

Pottawatomi River

The Pottawatomi River is a river in the municipalities of Owen Sound and Georgian Bluffs, Grey County in Southwestern Ontario, Canada.It is in the Great Lakes Basin and empties into Owen Sound, an inlet of Georgian Bay on Lake Huron, at Owen Sound Harbour.

The Musquash River is a river in Muskoka District Municipality, west Central Ontario, Canada, which splits from the Moon River and flows west into Georgian Bay. Musquash is an Abenaki word meaning "muskrat".

Departure Lake, Ontario Dispersed rural community in Ontario, Canada

Departure Lake is a dispersed rural community and unincorporated place in geographic Haggart Township, Cochrane District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is located on Ontario Highway 11 between the communities of Strickland to the west and Smooth Rock Falls to the east.

Tonawanda Creek (Ontario)

Tonawanda Creek is a creek in Central Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Great Lakes Basin and is a right tributary of the Big East River.

Big East River river in Canada

The Big East River is a river in Muskoka District and Nipissing District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. The river is in the Great Lakes Basin, is a left tributary of the Muskoka River, and flows from Algonquin Provincial Park to Huntsville.

Sixteen Mile Creek (Muskoka District)

Sixteen Mile Creek is a stream in the municipality of Lake of Bays, District Municipality of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Great Lakes Basin and flows from Hickory Lake to its mouth at the Boyne River. The Boyne River flows to the Lake of Bays, then via the Muskoka River, and the Moon River and Musquash River to Georgian Bay on Lake Huron.

Boyne River (Muskoka District)

The Boyne River is a river in the municipality of Lake of Bays, District Municipality of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Great Lakes Basin, and flows from Fowler Lake to its mouth at Dwight Bay on the Lake of Bays near the community of Dwight on Ontario Highway 60. The Lake of Bays flows via the Muskoka River, then the Moon River and Musquash River to Georgian Bay on Lake Huron.

Torrance Barrens Conservation area in Ontario, Canada

The Torrance Barrens is a conservation area and dark-sky preserve in the District Municipality of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada. The reserve consists of Crown Lands in the municipalities of Gravenhurst and Muskoka Lakes. It is notable as the first dark-sky preserve in Canada and for its geological and environmental features.

Haggart Creek (Muskoka District)

Haggart Creek is a creek in the municipalities of Georgian Bay and Muskoka Lakes, District Municipality of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada. It is in the Great Lakes Basin and is a right tributary of the Moon River.

Roderick Lake (Muskoka District)

Roderick Lake is a lake in the municipalities of Georgian Bay and Muskoka Lakes, District Municipality of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada. It is in the Great Lakes Basin, and with the exception of the northwest end, is mostly in the municipality of Muskoka Lakes.

Haggart Lake (Muskoka District)

Haggart Lake is a lake in the municipalities of Georgian Bay and Muskoka Lakes, District Municipality of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada. It is in the Great Lakes Basin and is the source of Haggart Creek.

Haggart Lake (Cochrane District)

Haggart Lake is a lake in geographic Haggart Township, Cochrane District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is in the James Bay drainage basin.

Haggart Lake (Kenora District)

Haggart Lake is a lake in the Unorganized Part of Kenora District in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is in the Hudson Bay drainage basin and within Woodland Caribou Provincial Park.

Haggart Creek (Cochrane District)

Haggart Creek is a creek in geographic Haggart Township, Cochrane District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is in the James Bay drainage basin and is a right tributary of the Poplar Rapids River.

Poplar Rapids River

The Poplar Rapids River is a river in the municipality of Fauquier-Strickland and Unorganized North Cochrane District, Cochrane District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is in the James Bay drainage basin and is a left tributary of the Mattagami River.

Haggart River

The Haggart River is a river in the Unorganized Part of Kenora District in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is in the Hudson Bay drainage basin and is a left tributary of the Gammon River. The river is within Woodland Caribou Provincial Park.

Bulging Lake

Bulging Lake is a lake in the Unorganized Part of Kenora District in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is in the Hudson Bay drainage basin and within Woodland Caribou Provincial Park.

Carroll Lake (Ontario-Manitoba)

Carroll Lake is an irregularly-shaped lake in the province of Manitoba, and in the Unorganized Part of Kenora District in Northwestern province of Ontario, Canada. It is in the Hudson Bay drainage basin, and, with the exception of portions of two small bays in the west, lies mostly in Ontario. The Ontario portion of the lake is within Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, and the small Manitoba portions within Atikaki Provincial Wilderness Park.

Potter Creek (Nipissing District)

Potter Creek is a stream in the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is a tributary of Canoe Lake, is in the Lake Huron drainage basin, and lies within Algonquin Provincial Park.

References

  1. 1 2 "Toporama". Atlas of Canada . Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  2. 1 2 3 "Moon River". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada . Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  3. ↑ "CLAIMaps IV". Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines. 2016. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  4. ↑ Map 5 (PDF) (Map). 1 : 700,000. Official road map of Ontario. Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. 2016-01-01. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  5. ↑ Restructured municipalities - Ontario map #4 (Map). Restructuring Maps of Ontario. Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. 2006. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  6. ↑ "Haggart Creek". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada . Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  7. ↑ "Moon River Conservation Reserve". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada . Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  8. ↑ "Lower Moon River Conservation Reserve". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada . Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  9. ↑ "Moon River Bay". Geographical Names Data Base . Natural Resources Canada . Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  10. ↑ "Moon River Conservation Reserve Management Statement". Ministry of Natural Resources Parry Sound District. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  11. ↑ "MUSKOKA FLOOD 2013". Metroland Media Group Ltd. MuskokaRegion.com. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  12. ↑ "Interim Order No. 2 Respecting Flooded Areas" . Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  13. ↑ "Real-Time Hydrometric Data for MOON RIVER AT HIGHWAY NO. 400 (02EB011) [ON]". Government of Canada. Environment and natural resources. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
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