Mouth of the Mackenzie River. Mackenzie (river). Description, geographical location. River basin biology

The Mackenzie River is the largest in Canada. Her length is 4241 km. As a matter of fact, the water stream, which is called the Mackenzie, begins its journey from Great Slave Lake. It is considered the deepest in North America. Maximum depth The reservoir reaches 614 meters, and the area is 28.4 thousand square meters. km. In spring, autumn and summer, the lake is covered with an ice crust. It is freed from it only in the summer months.

From the lake the water flows to the northwest and ends its path in Beaufort Sea. Its length is 1738 km. The river's water system itself begins River Finlay in central British Columbia. The source is in a small lake Tutade. These are the Omineca Mountains. The river flows south along the Rocky Mountains and empties into Williston Reservoir. The total length of Finlay is 420 km.

Mackenzie River on the map

The Peace River flows from the reservoir. This is a large water stream, the length of which is 1521 km. It flows into the Slave River, which flows out of Lake Athabasca. It is the latter that flows into Great Slave Lake. And the Mackenzie River already flows out of it and carries its waters to the Arctic Ocean. This gives us the figure of 4241 km.

Why such a strange name - "Slave"? The thing is that a tribe of Slavey Indians lived along the banks of the river and lake. So the lake with the river was called “Slave”. This is where the confusion came from, because English word"slave" means "slave". We wanted the best, but what happened was the Great Slave Lake and the Slave River. There’s nothing you can do now, that’s how it happened historically.

The mighty northern river was discovered by Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie (1764-1820). In 1789 he moved along waterway from Lake Athabasca towards North Arctic Ocean. IN total the traveler swam and walked 4.5 thousand km. People paid tribute to the courage of this man and immortalized his name in the name of the river.

It feeds from tributaries, lakes, rain and snow. The river floodplain is very swampy. All around are forests of black spruce, aspen and poplar. To the north comes the kingdom of dwarf birches, willows and numerous peat bogs. And, of course, permafrost. In the delta area its depth reaches 100 meters.

The largest lake, connected to the river through a channel, is called Big Bear. It is located in the Arctic Circle. The maximum depth is 413 meters. The area of ​​the reservoir is 31.15 thousand square meters. km, which exceeds the area of ​​Great Slave Lake. The channel, or more correctly, the river, is called the Big Bear and reaches a length of 113 km. Its depth is 6 meters and its width reaches 300 meters.

Mackenzie River in autumn

The Mackenzie itself is a wide and slow river. The height of the fall from source to mouth is 156 meters. The river has many shallows and side channels. The width ranges from 2 to 5 km. The depth is 8-9 meters. In some places, mountainous terrain causes the stream to narrow, and its width reaches 0.5 km. Accordingly, the flow speed increases.

This water river system covers 20% of the country's territory. In terms of length, she ranks 13th in the world among all the greats water systems and gives the Arctic Ocean 11% of the total drainage. The Mackenzie River begins to ice up in September. Ice drift begins in May, and in the lower reaches this period occurs in June.

The river basin is home to 397 thousand people, which is 1% of Canada's population. The bulk of the population is concentrated in the province of Alberta. But the Yukon and Northwest Territories are inhabited mainly by indigenous peoples. But there is a lot here useful resources: oil, gas, uranium, gold, tungsten, timber - the northern land is rich in all of this. The river has well-developed navigation. It covers 2200 km in summer period. And in winter, ice roads, dog sleds and snowmobiles are practiced.

In a word, this is a real harsh north, in no way inferior to Taimyr or Chukotka. Although life in these places is not vibrant, it is reliably settled in rare settlements. You can call the village Fort Providence. It is inhabited mainly by the indigenous population of the northern lands. There are almost 800 residents.

But in Inuvik, which is administrative center About 4 thousand people live in the Northwest Territories. This is a stronghold oil companies. It is from here that geological exploration of nearby lands is managed. You can also mention the village of Aklavik, Fort Norman, Norman Wells.

The Mackenzie River is a navigable river in summer

Concerning deltas great northern river, then in winter period, and this is a whole 6 months, it is practically indistinguishable. Everything around comes to life after the ice drift begins. The ice disappears within a few days, and countless channels appear, separated by islands. The length of the delta is 160 km, and the width from edge to edge is 80 km.

There are many in the water pingo. These are earthen hills with a core of ice. This phenomenon is common in permafrost areas. Ice turns into water in the summer, but cannot escape to the surface. It then freezes, expands, and pushes soil up. There are more than 1,500 pingos in the delta region. This is the largest concentration of them in the world.

The mighty Nord Stream is rightfully considered the pride of Canada. It carries its waters into the Beaufort Sea slowly and solidly. But you can feel it in them hidden power and power. And this always arouses respect and interest in the greatest creations of nature, one of which is the Mackenzie River.

Stanislav Lopatin

Expeditions and finds

A. Mackenzie spent 1791 in Scotland, where he studied topography and geography and prepared for a new great trip with the goal of finding river routes leading from Athabasca to the Pacific Ocean. Returning to Canada in 1792, he walked from the river. St. Lawrence, using dry and river routes, to Lake Athabasca.

He chose to study big river(Peace River), flowing from the west into Slave at its exit from the lake (at 59° N). He hoped that by going up this river he could get close to the Pacific Ocean. But the valley turned southwest, then straight south. So he sailed up the river until he reached 56° N. w. Was late time years, and Mackenzie stopped for the winter near the mouth of the Smoky River.

At the beginning of May 1793, when the river opened up, A. Mackenzie with nine companions, including the “English Chief,” continued sailing up the Peace River in a large but very light Indian canoe. He walked about another 250 km and, after going around a 20 km long canyon, got back into the canoe. Having climbed the river to another canyon, cut by it in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, and dragging the boat through the canyon, the travelers reached 56 ° N. latitude, 124°w. d. two rivers flowing in exactly opposite directions - northern (Finley) and southern (Parsnip); they made up the Peace River here. Where to go - north or south?

After consulting with the local Indians, A. Mackenzie chose the southern direction and climbed the river. Parsnip to its source near 54° 30" N and 122° W. After reconnaissance, it turned out that in the south, behind a short and convenient portage, some river flows to the west, which brought it to another large and navigable river (Fraser), flowing behind the mountain range in a southerly direction. He hoped to go down along it to the Pacific Ocean and began rafting, overcoming the rapids. But after several tens of kilometers, the Indians warned him that further navigation was impossible because of the rapids. Then A. Mackenzie returned to the mouth of the West Road River (100 km upstream) and, accompanied by local Indians, traced it to its source.On rafts, he crossed the Dean River, and then turned south and, passing through a small valley surrounded by snowy mountains, whose peaks were hidden in the clouds, reached a new short river(Bella Coola). On Indian canoes, the detachment descended to its mouth (at 52 ° 30 "N), it flowed into the short arm of the fjord. In order to dispel all doubts, A. Mackenzie moved further to the southwest, two days later he reached the Pacific Ocean, to Queen Charlotte Sound, and made the inscription on the rock: "Alexander Mackenzie, from Canada, by land, July 22, 1793."

At the first crossing North America he traced the entire river. Peace River (1923 km), crossed the Front and Coast Ranges of the Rocky Mountains, opening between them the Inland Plateau and the upper section of the river. Fraser. In September 1793, A. Mackenzie returned the same way to Lake Athabasca, and after wintering he arrived in 1794 on the river. St. Lawrence, having completed the second crossing of the mainland and having traveled more than 10 thousand km in both directions.

Discovery of the Mackenzie River

Scotsman Alexander Mackenzie moved to Montreal as a young man and entered the service of the fur company, which was soon absorbed by the North-West Company. In 1787, he, already an experienced agent, was sent to Lake Athabasca to replace P. Pond. They spent the winter together, and A. Mackenzie, with the participation of P. Pond, drew up a plan for further exploration of the “Cook River”.

In 1788, on behalf of A. Mackenzie, his cousin Roderick Mackenzie built near the mouth of the river. Athabascan Fort Chipewayan (moved to the mouth in 1804), where both wintered. On June 3, 1789, leaving Roderick as temporary commander of the fort, A. Mackenzie set out with 12 companions on a river trip in birch bark canoes.

The guide of the expedition was a Chipewyan Indian nicknamed “English Leader”, who took part in S. Herne’s campaign to the Arctic Ocean. On June 9, they reached Great Slave Lake, almost completely covered with ice, only a narrow strip was visible near the shore clean water. Soon in the rain and strong wind the ice began to break up, but so slowly that it took about two weeks to cross by canoe. A. Mackenzie spent another six days searching for a further route: the northern shore of Great Slave Lake is very dissected, especially in the north-west, where the river. The Marian flows into the long, narrow North Arm Bay. Only on June 29 did he find a mighty stream flowing from the western corner of the lake at the latitude of the “Cook River” and carrying its waters to the west. After a few days of sailing, A. Mackenzie met three groups of Indians who told him horror stories about the enormous length of the river, the impossibility of finding food in the lower reaches - and he barely managed to persuade his guides not to leave him.

350 km from the lake, the river turned sharply to the north and entered the mountainous region. On the left side, heights approached it (Mt. Mackenzie), on the right - other heights (Mount Franklin), which are at 65 ° N. w. were interrupted by a wide valley of a deep eastern tributary. A. Mackenzie did not explore this stream, which led him away from the main goal. At 67° N. w. main river came out into the lowlands, but in the west one could see mountains extending in a meridional direction (Richardson Mountains).

On July 10, A. Mackenzie wrote: “It is absolutely clear that this river flows into the Great North Sea.” For three more days he descended along the river flowing in the low banks, from which numerous branches branched off on both sides. Instead of the Indian villages that had previously been occasionally found on its banks, here and there the dwellings of the Eskimos were visible. On July 13, at 69°30" N, from a hill on one of the delta islands, the traveler saw a strip of open sea in the west - the Mackenzie Gulf of the Beaufort Sea, and in the east - clogged with ice bay (maybe Eskimo Lake). At night, with the sun not setting, he watched the tide, and in the morning he saw whales playing in the water in the western bay. Undoubtedly, he reached the Arctic Ocean. But, since he did not trace the adjacent areas in both directions sea ​​coast, the veracity of his message was doubted for a long time. A. Mackenzie himself justified himself by saying that his provisions were running out. On July 16 he turned back; going up the river, naturally, took up a lot of more strength, and the squad moved twice as slow. Six days later, A. Mackenzie learned from the Indians he met that eight or nine years ago, far to the west, the Eskimos had contact with white people who came to big ships and exchanged iron for skins. It is possible - Canadian historical geographer Roy Daniells believes that these were ships of Russian industrialists, and the meeting supposedly took place in the vicinity of Cape Barrow, the northernmost tip of the Alaska Peninsula (71°23"N, 156°12"W .d.). In our historical and geographical literature there is no information or just mention of this outstanding achievement of domestic sailors.

A. Mackenzie completed his campaign to the Arctic Ocean on September 12, 1789 at Fort Chipewayan, having covered almost 5 thousand km in 102 days. The great stream flowing from Great Slave Lake and flowing into the Beaufort Sea was named the river. Mackenzie.

The Mackenzie River is great river North America. In terms of average water consumption, it is not inferior to anyone in North America except Mississippi. Also, the river found something unusual economic use: In addition to a shipping canal in summer, its bed is also used as an ice road in winter.

River length: 4,240 km.

Drainage basin area: 1,800,000 sq. km. This includes the Slave, Peace and Athabasca river basins, which flow into Great Slave Lake). In addition to the Great Slave Lake, the Mackenzie River basin also includes a number of large lakes in Canada: Wollaston, Claire, Athabasca, and Great Bear.

Characteristics of the Mackenzie River

Where does it occur: The Mackenzie rises from Great Slave Lake. Thanks to this, the Mackenzie can be compared to the Neva River, its source is Lake Ladoga. The direction of the river flow is predominantly northwestern. The river flows through a heavily swampy valley. Its banks are covered with thick spruce forest. According to the nature of the Mackenzie current, it is lowland river. It flows into the Gulf of the Botfort Sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean, forming a delta with an area of ​​12,000 km. sq. In general, half of all Canadian rivers flow into the Arctic Ocean.

Nutrition: mixed, with a predominance of rain and snow feeding methods.

River mode: characterized by spring-summer floods caused by melting snow. Average consumption water at the mouth is 10,700 m3/s. This figure could be higher, but the Rocky Mountains to the west greatly reduce the influence of the Pacific Ocean as a water source.

Freezing: Freeze-up lasts from September, sometimes from October to May. In the lower reaches, the opening occurs a little later - in early June.

Cities: Aklavik, Inuvik, Fort Norman, Fort Providence and center oil industry Norman Wells.

Main tributaries: Liard, Arctic Red River, Peel, Great Bear.

The river is navigable for 200 km, up to Waterways on the Athabasca River. Even further upstream from its source, the Athabasca River flows into Great Slave Lake.

Interesting facts:

1) The river was discovered and crossed in 1789 by the Scottish traveler A. Mackenzie. The first name of the river was Disappointment, which translated from English means “Disappointment”. The river probably did not make a very good impression on the researcher.

2) In the river delta, not far from Canada’s northernmost settlement of Tuktoyaktuk, there is a whole collection of hydrolaccolith or pingo. Pingos are cone-shaped mounds of gravel and other soil elements that have been literally forced to the surface by the pressure of the ice that lies below. These hills can reach 40 meters in height and 300 meters in width.

Mackenzie is largest river North America, particularly Canada. Its length is more than 4000 km. From this article you can learn a lot of interesting things about this body of water.

origin of name

The longest river in Canada is named after the explorer and discoverer, the Scot Alexander Mackenzie. It was he who made the first voyage through its waters in 1789. This river interested Europeans as a potential route that would lead to the Pacific Ocean. But the Mackenzie is a river that couldn't bring them to the coast Pacific Ocean, since it is fenced off from it on the western side by the Rocky Mountains.

The first name of the river translated from English meant “disappointment” or “dissatisfaction”. It is likely that she did not make a very pleasant impression on the first researcher.

Geographical location of the Mackenzie River

The Mackenzie River flows in the northwest of the country. Thanks to its numerous tributaries, it is a branched river system. It occupies about 20% of Canada. The river basin lies in several Canadian provinces. It also includes a number of Canadian lakes. The main route of the river passes through the lands of the circumpolar region of the country, which are called the Northwest Territories.

The Mackenzie originates from Great Slave Lake. This is the deepest body of water on the North American continent. Its depth is 614 meters. This lake is rightfully considered one of the wonders of local nature. The Mackenzie flows into the Gulf of the Arctic Ocean. 11% of the total flow is its water.

When it flows into the bay, a swampy delta of the Mackenzie River is formed; it occupies a vast territory - about 12,000 square meters. km. Here the soil is frozen by permafrost.

North-west - this is the direction in which the Mackenzie flows its waters. The river formed a valley from a layer of alluvial and fluvio-glacial sediments. It is covered mainly by spruce forest and swampy.

Description of the river

Mackenzie is not only the most long river North America, but also quite deep-sea. Therefore it is suitable for shipping. In summer, river boats sail along it for 2000 km. But even in winter it is used for economic purposes, albeit very unusual ones. The ice road for cars is the Mackenzie in winter. The river forms very thick and durable ice. Its thickness can reach up to 2 meters, so vehicle movement is absolutely safe.

Since the reservoir belongs to the Arctic water sources, it is fed mainly by snow and rain precipitation. Serious flooding often occurs when snow and ice melt. quite harsh. Because of this, the Mackenzie River in the central and northern regions of the country is covered with ice for more than six months: from mid-October to early May. Sometimes freeze-up can last until the beginning of June; this mainly occurs in the lower reaches of the reservoir.

Where and how does the river flow?

The Canada River flows through a vast area of ​​the country. This area consists mainly of forests and forest-tundra. As a rule, these are deserted, untouched spaces. The shores of the Mackenzie, covered with forests, are very picturesque. Many species of wild animals live here, including well-known ones. Many areas are heavily swamped - about 18% of the entire area of ​​the river basin. Throughout its entire length, the Mackenzie River, photos of which are presented in this article, has a fairly wide channel; it can reach 5 km. The water flows calmly and leisurely. The elevation difference from the source of the Mackenzie to its mouth is very small and amounts to just over 150 meters.

Not far from Canada's northernmost settlement of Tuktoyaktuk, where the mouth of the Mackenzie River is located, are hydrolaccoliths, or pingos. These are cone-shaped hills. They consist of gravel and other soil elements that are literally squeezed from the depths of the earth to the surface under the influence of ice lying below. The hills can be up to 40 meters high and about 300 meters in diameter.

The waters of the Mackenzie are home to about 53 species of fish. An interesting fact is that many representatives of the fauna are genetically related to those that live in. Scientists have a version that in the past they could have been connected by systems of lakes and channels.

River today

The Mackenzie is the main transport artery. It transports goods both in winter and summer. The level of seasonal fluctuations in the water in the river is used to produce hydroelectric power. Several dams have been built on it. They not only generate the energy necessary for humans, but also fight floods during floods. In the south, agricultural development became possible.

The Mackenzie Basin is rich in mineral resources:

1. Oil.
2. Gas.
3. Coal.
4. Gold.
5. Tungsten.
6. Potassium salt.
7. Silver.
8. Uranium.
9. Diamonds, etc.

Mining developments have transformed many inhospitable areas of the Mackenzie Basin into habitable areas. The Mackenzie is a river whose banks are almost entirely covered with forests. Therefore, the extraction of raw materials and workpieces is in full swing here. Only 1% live in the basin - only about 400,000 people. This is approximately 0.2 people per 1 sq. km. But in Lately Ecotourism is becoming increasingly important to the regional economy.

The Mackenzie River is a very attractive destination for adventure tourists who can travel by canoe or boat. It’s not for nothing that thousands of travelers from all over the world come here every year.

The Mackenzie River was named after the Scottish explorer and discoverer, merchant Alexander Mackenzie, who made the first journey along its waters. This river is the longest river in Canada, its length is 4241 kilometers.

It is not only very long, but also quite deep - for more than two thousand kilometers, ships can sail along it. The Mackenzie Spring is located in Great Slave Lake, and its waters flow into. The river belongs to the Arctic water sources, therefore it is fed mostly by snow and rainfall. Due to Canada's harsh climate, the Mackenzie River is covered with ice for more than half the year - from mid-October to early May (sometimes until early June). Interestingly, in winter it even serves as a road for cars, its ice is so strong and thick (up to two and a half meters). The river delta is quite extensive, it occupies about 12 thousand square kilometers. But the delta is also characterized by significant swampiness.

River banks

The Mackenzie River has a large flow rate at its mouth, with an average flow of about 10,700 cubic meters per second. Such a large volume of water sets it apart from the group of other rivers in North America and puts it in second place. Rocky Mountains, which surround the river in the west, reduce the influence, and therefore the water content decreases. The main tributaries are the Peel, Liard, and Arctic Red Rivers. The banks of the river are very picturesque; dense trees grow on them. spruce forests, in which many dangerous animals are found, including the famous grizzly bear.

Settlements on the river

Mackenzie is home to many towns and villages. The largest settlements are Fort Norman, Aklavik, Fort Providence, Inuvik. Neighborhood big river largely determined the nature of the main occupation local residents. Norman Knot is an oil production center. This river is extremely attractive for tourists and adventure seekers who can take an exciting trip by canoe or boat. The coastal forests are home to grizzlies and American bears; few travelers dare to walk along the forest trails along the river bed.