The Barron River (French: rivière Barron) is a river in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin in Nipissing District and Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. It flows from Clemow Lake in northern Algonquin Provincial Park and joins the Petawawa River, whose southern branch it forms, in the municipality of Laurentian Hills, near the municipality of Petawawa.

The river is named after Barron Township through which it flows, which in turn was named in honour of John Augustus Barron.

A popular canoe route passes through and a hiking trail leads to the edge of the Barron Canyon.

Geography

thumb|right|High Falls on the Barron River

The river begins at Clemow Lake in the geographic township of Barron in the Unorganized South Nipissing District of Nipissing District, Northeastern Ontario. The Petawawa Rivers flows via the Ottawa River to the Saint Lawrence River.

Tributaries

<small>in upstream order</small>

  • Spug Creek (left)
  • Biggar Creek (left)
  • Number One Creek (right)
  • Ignace Creek (left)
  • Mulock Creek (right)
  • Hardwood Creek (left)
  • Forbes Creek (left)
  • Marie Creek (right)
  • Grand Lake
  • Carcajou Creek (right)
  • Johnston Creek (left)
  • Rowan Creek (left)
  • Borutski Creek (left)
  • Depot Creek (left)

Geology

Approximately 10,000 years ago, the river was a main outlet for glacial meltwater in this region. It is believed to have carried for a short time the outflow from the Lake Agassiz. The deep Barron Canyon was formed during that time. The rocks exposed in the Canyon are part of the Canadian Shield. The canyon itself still shows activity in the form of rockfalls and landslides.

The Barron River lies inside a fault associated with the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben.

History

The river was an important highway during the last part of the 19th century and early 20th century when its water levels were carefully manipulated to facilitate the transport of timber to the Ottawa River and onwards. The Barron Canyon was the scene of noisy log drives every spring. The name the loggers used for the towering cliffs was the "Capes". Moving timber in this way was a dangerous task and evidence can be found by the graves still found on the edge of the Petawawa and Barron Rivers.

Barron River Provincial Park

The Barron River Provincial Park includes a wide strip of land along the river's southern bank, from the eastern boundary of Algonquin Park to Black Bay in Petawawa Township. It was established in 2006 and protects an outstanding water route that provides recreational and educational opportunities.

A notable feature in the park is the eastern part of the Barron Canyon, that provide a microclimate in its cracks and crevices for plants that are more at home in the subarctic. On top of the cliffs are red and white pine forests.