The Mattawa River is a river in central Ontario, Canada. It flows east from Trout Lake east of North Bay and enters the Ottawa River at the town of Mattawa. Counting from the head of Trout Lake, it is long. The river's name comes from the Algonquin word for "meeting of waterways".

Two provincial parks are located along it: the Mattawa River Provincial Park stretches along both sides of the river's banks for almost its full length; and Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park, located about from the river's end.

Geography

The river flows inside a graben through the Algonquin highlands. This valley is an offshoot arm of ancient rift valley, called the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben, which still causes minor earthquakes in the area. From Lake Talon to Mattawa the river flows through a rock-walled canyon up to in places.

Tributaries include the:

  • Amable du Fond River
  • Kaibuskong River
  • North River

The Porte de l'enfer (Hell's Gate) is a peculiar cave in the river's bank speculated to be a native ochre mine. In 1761, Alexander Henry the elder reported on this cave and the myths surrounding it. It was said to be inhabited by an evil and fierce demon, hence its name.

Evidence of a post-glacial spillway which drained the Great Lakes into the Ottawa River until about 4000 years ago can be seen at several sites along the river. There are potholes at Portage de Talon and numerous cataracts and former river channels, such as the boulder pavement between Pine Lake and McCool Bay, 12–15 metres (39–49 ft) above the river's present-day waterline.

History

thumb|180px|Map of the La Vase Portages

The Mattawa River had been used by native peoples as an important transportation corridor for many centuries. In 1610, Étienne Brûlé For some 200 years thereafter, it formed part of the important water route leading from Montreal west to Lake Superior. It was the primary access to the vast Canadian interior in the days of the fur trade. Canoes travelling west up the Ottawa turned left at "the Forks" (the mouth of the Mattawa) to enter the "Petite Rivière" ("Small River", as compared to the Ottawa), reaching Lake Nipissing by way of "La Vase Portage", an stretch of water and portages.

Other notable travellers on the Mattawa included Jean Nicolet in 1620, Jean de Brébeuf in 1626, Gabriel Lallemant in 1648, Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Médard des Groseilliers in 1658, La Verendrye in 1731, Alexander MacKenzie in 1794, and David Thompson in 1812. While logging is still an important industry in this region, its shores are now protected from further development and logging.

Today, the river and lakes are mainly used for recreation.

Provincial park

In 1970, a section of the Mattawa River from the eastern end of Trout Lake to the western boundary of Samuel de Champlain Park was protected as Ontario's first "waterway" park. It was a long and wide ribbon of land on both sides of the river with an area of .

It is a non-operating park, meaning there are no visitor services. Permitted activities are mountain biking, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, hunting, snowmobiling, and swimming. There are 20 backcountry campsites provided

See also

  • List of Ontario rivers

References

  • Mattawa River Waterway Park
  • North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority (includes info on the Mattawa River Canoe Race)
  • Darren's Outdoor Page – Canoeing on the Mattawa River
  • www.mattawarivercanoerace.ca