Petawawa River

The Petawawa River is a river in the Saint Lawrence River drainage basin in Nipissing District and Renfrew County in eastern and northeastern Ontario, Canada. The river flows from Algonquin Provincial Park to the Ottawa River at the town of Petawawa. The river's name comes from the Algonquian for "where one hears a noise like this", which refers to its many rapids.

Course

The river starts at Ralph Bice Lake (formally Butt Lake) in northern Algonquin Park in the geographic township of Butt in the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District. It flows south to Daisy Lake then east to Big Trout Lake. The river heads north out the lake over Big Trout Lake Dam, takes in the left tributary Tim River, flows over the Portal Rapids, Cedar Rapids, Showshoe Rapids, Catfish Rapids, and Stacks Rapids to reach Cedar Lake, the location of the community of Brent, where it takes in the left tributary Nipissing River.

The river empties into the Ottawa River at Petawawa.

The river is in length and drains an area of , with a mean discharge of per second.

Economy

From the late 19th century until the 1960s, the river was used for log driving of the timber from the forested areas surrounding the river. The river is popular among canoeing and kayaking enthusiasts for its white water rapids and often spectacular views.

Geology

Part of the Petawawa River lies in the Ottawa-Bonnechere Graben, a...
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