Mackenzie River
largest river system in Canada
The Mackenzie River is a major river in northern Canada. It is named after famous explorer, Alexander Mackenzie. The river's watershed drains parts of Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon. It flows north, for 1,738 kilometres (1,080 mi), from Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean. There are only a few small towns on the river, including Fort Providence and Norman Wells. The river is used as a boat transport route during the ice-free summer.
Mackenzie River | |
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Location | |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
- location | Great Slave Lake |
Mouth | Arctic Ocean |
Length | 1,738 km (1,080 mi) |
Basin size | 1,805,200 km2 (697,000 sq mi) |
Discharge | |
- average | 9,910 m3/s (350,000 cu ft/s) |
Tributaries of the river include the Liard, Keele, Great Bear, Arctic Red and Peel Rivers. The Slave River, Peace River and Athabasca River provide most of the water in Great Slave Lake.