Horn River
Encyclopedia
The Horn River is a river in the Northwest Territories
of Canada
. It is a major tributary of the Mackenzie River
.
The river gives the name to the Horn River Formation
, a shale deposit of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin
. The Horn River Basin refers to the extent of the Horn River Formation in the subsurface, and is not defined by the Horn River watershed.
. It flows south-east through a series of rapid
s north of the Horn Plateau, then has a meander
ed flow. Fawn Lake is a complex wetland formed along the middle course of the Horn River, and is followed downstream by the Second Lake. The river turns south-west, where the Mink Lake is formed along its course. The Laferte River also flows into the Mink Lake. Horn River then flows south, and it receives the waters of the Bluefish River before it empties into the Mackenzie River
, 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) downstream from the Great Slave Lake
), immediately upstream from Mills Lake, at an elevation of 150 metres (492.1 ft).
The arch made by the river defines the Horn Plateau (a flat elevated area that rises up to 820 metres (2,690.3 ft)) to the north and east, while the south is defined by the Mackenzie River east of Fort Simpson
.
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is a major tributary of the Mackenzie River
Mackenzie River
The Mackenzie River is the largest river system in Canada. It flows through a vast, isolated region of forest and tundra entirely within the country's Northwest Territories, although its many tributaries reach into four other Canadian provinces and territories...
.
The river gives the name to the Horn River Formation
Horn River Formation
The Horn River Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Devonian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.It takes the name from the Horn River, a tributary of the Mackenzie River, and was first described in outrop on the banks of Horn River in the Northwest Territories by Whittaker in 1922...
, a shale deposit of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin
Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin
The Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin is a vast sedimentary basin underlying of Western Canada including southwestern Manitoba, southern Saskatchewan, Alberta, northeastern British Columbia and the southwest corner of the Northwest Territories. It consists of a massive wedge of sedimentary rock...
. The Horn River Basin refers to the extent of the Horn River Formation in the subsurface, and is not defined by the Horn River watershed.
Course
The river originates south of the Great Bear LakeGreat Bear Lake
Great Bear Lake is the largest lake entirely within Canada , the third or fourth largest in North America, and the seventh or eighth largest in the world...
. It flows south-east through a series of rapid
Rapid
A rapid is a section of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. A rapid is a hydrological feature between a run and a cascade. A rapid is characterised by the river becoming shallower and having some rocks exposed above the...
s north of the Horn Plateau, then has a meander
Meander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
ed flow. Fawn Lake is a complex wetland formed along the middle course of the Horn River, and is followed downstream by the Second Lake. The river turns south-west, where the Mink Lake is formed along its course. The Laferte River also flows into the Mink Lake. Horn River then flows south, and it receives the waters of the Bluefish River before it empties into the Mackenzie River
Mackenzie River
The Mackenzie River is the largest river system in Canada. It flows through a vast, isolated region of forest and tundra entirely within the country's Northwest Territories, although its many tributaries reach into four other Canadian provinces and territories...
, 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) downstream from the Great Slave Lake
Great Slave Lake
Great Slave Lake is the second-largest lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada , the deepest lake in North America at , and the ninth-largest lake in the world. It is long and wide. It covers an area of in the southern part of the territory. Its given volume ranges from to and up to ...
), immediately upstream from Mills Lake, at an elevation of 150 metres (492.1 ft).
The arch made by the river defines the Horn Plateau (a flat elevated area that rises up to 820 metres (2,690.3 ft)) to the north and east, while the south is defined by the Mackenzie River east of Fort Simpson
Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories
Fort Simpson is a village in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is located on an island at the confluence of the Mackenzie and Liard Rivers...
.
Tributaries
From origin to mouth, the Horn River receives:| Origin | 62.73°N 119.63°W |
| Benner Creek | 62.28786°N 117.79134°W |
| Fawn Lake | 62.15557°N 117.58850°W |
| Second Lake | 62.12602°N 117.45326°W |
| Mink Lake | 61.91024°N 117.63208°W |
| Laferte River | 61.87723°N 117.72606°W |
| Bluefish River | 61.51520°N 117.96175°W |
| Mackenzie River | 61.47546°N 118.08229°W |