Great Bear River

Great Bear River
Great Bear River exits Great Bear Lake near Deline
Native name	Sahtúdé (Slave)
Location
Country	Canada
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada
• coordinates	65°08′03″N 123°30′45″W
• elevation	186 m (610 ft)
Mouth	Mackenzie River
• location	Tulita, Northwest Territories, Canada
• coordinates	64°54′21″N 125°36′12″W
• elevation	60 m (200 ft)
Length	113 km (70 mi)
Basin size	156,500 km2 (60,400 sq mi)
Discharge
• location	Mackenzie River
• average	528 m3/s (18,600 cu ft/s)
• maximum	995 m3/s (35,100 cu ft/s)

Barge traffic on the Great Bear River, in 1933.

The 113-kilometre-long (70 mi) Great Bear River, which drains the Great Bear Lake westward through marshes into the Mackenzie River, forms an important transportation link during its four ice-free months. It originates at south-west bay of the lake. The river has irregular meander pattern 350-metre-wide (1,150 ft) channel with average depth 6 metres (20 ft). Historic air photos show no evidence of bank erosion or channel migration in a 50-year period.

The low discharge rate is due to small amount of precipitation in watershed area. Great Bear River contained open reaches that had melted out in place over 80 percent of its length in 1972 and 1974.

The settlement of Tulita is located at the mouth of the river.

Tributaries

The tributaries of the Great Bear River include;

• Porcupine River
• Rosalie Creek
• Stick Creek
• Wolverine Creek
• St. Charles Creek
• Brackett River

See also

• List of rivers of the Northwest Territories

External links

• Great Bear Lake: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article
• Canadian Council for Geographic Education page with a series of articles on the history of the Mackenzie River.
• Mackenzie River (river, Canada) : The lower course -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia.