The 'South Nation River' is a
river whose watershed covers
3,900 km², a large part of eastern
Ontario. The river's headwaters are located north of
Brockville, Ontario and it flows
175 km northeast to empty into the
Ottawa River near
Plantagenet, Ontario. This river is called the "South Nation River" to distinguish it from a river in
Quebec north of the Ottawa River called the
Petite-Nation River or ''rivière Petite-Nation''. The names of both rivers are derived from the
French name for the native people of this area, the Weskarini.
The area surrounding the river, originally covered with
white pine, is now mainly used for agriculture.
The river drains an almost flat plain, and hence its lack of
gradient makes it prone to flooding. Dams and other water control measures have been introduced to help reduce the impact of seasonal
flooding in the watershed. In some areas the river flows through
Leda clays which can be very unstable.
On
June 20 1993, a major
landslide occurred near the former site of the town of
Lemieux, Ontario. Approximately
3 million m³ of mud and clay slid into the river valley, blocking the river's flow for three days.
Tributaries include the
★ various branches of the
Castor River
★
Payne River
★
Scotch River
★ Bear Brook
Communities on the river include:
★
Casselman, Ontario
★
Crysler, Ontario
★ Plantagenet, Ontario
★
Spencerville, Ontario
See also
★
List of Ontario rivers
External links
★
South Nation Conservation