Manitou River (Manitoulin Island) Explained

Manitou River
Pushpin Map:	Ontario
Subdivision Type1:	Country
Subdivision Name1:	Canada
Subdivision Type2:	Province
Subdivision Name2:	Ontario
Subdivision Type3:	Region
Subdivision Name3:	Ontario North
Subdivision Type4:	District
Subdivision Name4:	Manitoulin District
Subdivision Type5:	Island
Subdivision Name5:	Manitoulin Island
Source1:	Manitou Lake
Source1 Location:	Central Manitoulin township
Source1 Elevation:	222
Mouth:	Lake Huron
Mouth Location:	Tehkummah township
Progression:	Lake Huron, Saint Lawrence River
River System:	Saint Lawrence River
Tributaries Left:	Discharge of lake Smoky Hollow.
Tributaries Right:	(upstream) Discharge from a small lake, discharge from a stream (via the lake crossed by the river).
Waterbodies:	Unidentified lake

The Manitou River is a river of the Manitoulin Island, flowing in the township of Central Manitoulin and Tehkummah, in Manitoulin District, in Northern Ontario region, in the province of Ontario, Canada.

Apart from the residential areas, forestry is the main economic activity in this valley; agriculture, second.

Geography

The Manitou River rises at the dam located at the bottom of a bay on the south shore of the eastern part of Manitou Lake at Sandfield in the Township of Central Manitoulin on the Manitoulin Island. This recreational-tourism-oriented lake has an area of, a length of, a width of and an altitude of .

The Manitou River current generally descends southwest over approximately in length through the boreal forest (crossing a few agricultural areas in the upper part), with a drop of, according to the following segments:

• westward, first passing under the Highway 542 bridge, to a bend in the river where it heads further southwest; then pass under the Case Road bridge; cross the southern part of a little lake (length: ; altitude:) which receives the discharge (coming from the north) of a stream; cross the south-western part of White lake (altitude:), up to its mouth;
• generally towards the south-west, passing under the Townline Road West bridge (east–west direction) in Snowville hamlet, successively intersecting the Sideroad 20 road (north–south direction), the road Concession Road 2 (east-west), Government Road, to the outlet (from the east) of Smoky Hollow Lake;
• winding southward, collecting the discharge (coming from the west) of a small lake, to its mouth.^[1]

The Manitou River ends at Michael's Bay on North shore of Lake Huron at the south end of Manitoulin Island.

Development of the valley

The Blue Jay Creek and Manitou River Enhancement Strategy^[2] was completed in June 2001 and approved in December 2003 by the Manitoulin Streams Improvement Association. The organization has rehabilitated 17 major sites along the river which has improved water quality and the fisheries in the region.

Toponymy

The toponyms "Manitou Lake" and "Manitou River" are linked. The term "Manitou" derives from the Huron tradition which once had a large population around Lake Huron.

See also

• List of rivers of Ontario

External links

• Manitoulin Streams Improvement Association

Notes and References

1. Web site: Atlas of Canada from the Department of Natural Resources Canada. Characteristics extracted from the geographic map, the database and the site instrumentation. August 9, 2020.
2. Strategic Plan for the Blue Jay Creek and Manitou River Enhancement Strategy, December 2003,a work of Manitoulin Streams Improvement Association, accessed on January 31, 2010.