The Ottawa River fact Sheet The Ottawa River fact Sheet
The River
1,271 km long, making it the 13th longest river in Every Canadian federal politician drinks water from North America. the Ottawa River.
The Ottawa River watershed is larger than England. The Ottawa River forms the boundary between Ontario and Quebec. The Ottawa River is the largest tributary of the St. Lawrence River. No single government agency is responsible for the health and future of the river. The source of the river is Lake Capimitchigama in Quebec, 250 km north of Ottawa. There is no management plan, no conservation plan, no action plan. There are 19 major dams on the river between the headwaters and Montreal. There is no vision for the future of this great river.
The Ottawa River has 17 major tributaries. Only two are (still) free of dams.
Biology
More than 300 species of birds have been identified The Ottawa River is home to one of the few naturally along the river. reproducing (not stocked) muskellunge fisheries.
There are 96 species of fish in the river, including There are more native species of mussels in the 50 at-risk species. Ottawa River than in all the rivers of Europe combined.
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History
6,000-year-old copper tools have been found on the Wrights Town was established in 1800 on the north shores of the river. side of River below Chaudière Falls (present-day Gatineau). The search for the Northwest Passage began up the Ottawa River. In 1806, the first raft of logs was floated down the Ottawa River. Sir John Franklin journeyed up the Ottawa River on his Great Arctic Survey. The Ottawa River was nominated a Canadian Heritage River in 2007. However, the federal The Ottawa River was first known as “Kit-chi’sippi” or government has never signed off to have the Great River; later called La Grande Rivière du Nord river officially designated. by French explorers.
Economics
The combined capacity of the Ottawa River basin’s Ottawa River water is used to cool the reactors at hydroelectric generating stations is over 4,000 MW. AECL Chalk River Laboratories. They are one of the The value of the electricity averages about $1 M biggest producers of medical isotopes in the world. per day (2006). Ducks Unlimited, along with communities and Paddling and rafting businesses along the Ottawa citizens along the river, have invested millions of River directly employ over 1,000 people, with dollars in the restoration of wetlands. thousands more being employed in travel, outdoor The cost of filtering and treating Ottawa River water equipment and related businesses. for drinking is directly related to the quality of the At the Carillon reservoir alone, there are 10 federal water. wharfs, 14 public boat ramps and 5 marinas to accommodate recreational boat traffic.
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Recreation & Tourism
Hundreds of thousands of people swim, fish, paddle, Over 14,000 pleasure craft travel the river system sail, and powerboat on the Ottawa River. annually, many doing the Rideau, Ottawa, St. Lawrence triangle. There are over 30 beaches along the Ottawa River. The Ottawa River is considered one of the top fishing Not every public swimming beach is monitored for spots in North America with over 50,000 fishers along water quality. Those beaches that are monitored are the upper Ottawa River. frequently closed when contact with the water poses a public health risk. The Ottawa River is home to 8 national historic sites and numerous pioneer villages, interpretive centres, Every year, tens of thousands of paddlers descend on community museums and historic houses. Rocher Fendu near Beachburg. The 12-km run is one of the world’s top white-water destinations. Over 40 festivals take place annually on or near the shores of the river, including our annual Canada Day Ottawa/Gatineau is home to some of the finest urban celebrations. whitewater paddling and our national team trains on the river in the heart of our city.
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Threats to the Ottawa River
Sewage Hundreds of times a year, untreated sewage is Municipal sewage contains hundreds of chemical released into the river. and toxic pollutants, including pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, and toxic metals. There are over 90 wastewater treatment facilities in the watershed. Half provide only primary treatment. The National Water Research Institute identified 9 pharmaceuticals in tap water samples in Southern Ontario.
Industry There are 6 pulp mills along the river (down from At CRL, storage bays for waste fuel rods discharge 9 in 2006). In 2002, the industry dumped over radioactive material (nucleotides) into the Ottawa 160,000 litres of polluted effluent into the river. River. One fuel bay leaked up to 1,000 gallons of contaminated water each day over 35 years. A plume Five decades of improper management of radioactive of tritium and strontium-90 intersects the river over wastes at the Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) have several hundred metres of shoreline. led to extensive site contamination. City of Ottawa drinking water contains radioactive tritium.
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