Kakisa River
Encyclopedia
Kakisa 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 Kakisa Formation
, a stratigraphical unit of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin
.
, immediately south of the Northwest Territories
border, from Creighton Lake, at an elevation of 570 metres (1,870.1 ft). It flows westwards, briefly crossing int the Northwest Territories, then back into Alberta. 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) east of the British Columbia
border it turns north and flows back in the Northwest Territories. It keeps a north to northeast direction, paralleling the Redknife River
for a while, then turns east, where it builds a complex lake and channel system before it empties into the Tathlina Lake at its western extremity. It flows out the north side of the lake and continues north, receives the waters of Gull Creek, then flows into the Kakisa Lake at its southern shore. It flows out at the eastern side of the lake, drops through the Lady Evelyn Falls before it is crossed by the Mackenzie Highway
. It continues northwards, then empties into the Mackenzie River
, 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) downstream from the Great Slave Lake
, at an elevation of 160 metres (524.9 ft).
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 Kakisa Formation
Kakisa Formation
The Kakisa Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Frasnian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.It takes the name from the Kakisa River, a tributary of the Mackenzie River, and was first described in outcrop on the banks of the Trout River by H.R. Belyea and D.J...
, a stratigraphical unit 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...
.
Course
It originates in northern AlbertaNorthern Alberta
Northern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta.Its primary industry is oil and gas, with large heavy oil reserves being exploited at the Athabasca Oil Sands and Wabasca Area in the east of the region...
, immediately south of the Northwest Territories
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...
border, from Creighton Lake, at an elevation of 570 metres (1,870.1 ft). It flows westwards, briefly crossing int the Northwest Territories, then back into Alberta. 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) east of the British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
border it turns north and flows back in the Northwest Territories. It keeps a north to northeast direction, paralleling the Redknife River
Redknife River
The Redknife River is a river in the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is a major tributary of the Mackenzie River.The Redknife Formation, a stratigraphical unit of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin was named for the river.-Course:...
for a while, then turns east, where it builds a complex lake and channel system before it empties into the Tathlina Lake at its western extremity. It flows out the north side of the lake and continues north, receives the waters of Gull Creek, then flows into the Kakisa Lake at its southern shore. It flows out at the eastern side of the lake, drops through the Lady Evelyn Falls before it is crossed by the Mackenzie Highway
Mackenzie Highway
The Mackenzie Highway is a Canadian highway in northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories. It begins as Alberta Highway 2 at Mile Zero in Grimshaw, Alberta...
. It continues northwards, then 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...
, 30 kilometres (18.6 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 ...
, at an elevation of 160 metres (524.9 ft).