Old Woman River (Ontario)

The Old Woman River is a river in Algoma District of Ontario, Canada, which empties into Old Woman Bay on Lake Superior south of Wawa.[1] It flows through Lake Superior Provincial Park.

Old Woman River
Old Woman River (Ontario) is located in Ontario
Old Woman River (Ontario)
Location
Canada
ProvinceOntario
DistrictAlgoma
Physical characteristics
MouthOld Woman Bay (Lake Superior)
 • location
Unorg. North Algoma
 • coordinates
47°47′08″N 84°53′45″W / 47.78556°N 84.89583°W / 47.78556; -84.89583[1]
 • elevation
183 m (600 ft)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftSouth Old Woman River

The river follows a fault which became a spillway for glacial meltwater following the last ice age. The river's valley has extensive deposits of sand and gravel. At its mouth, the river bends sharply behind a beach berm, that has formed as a result of prevailing westerly winds, which in turn causes lake waves to dam the river's mouth with sand.[2]

Towering cliffs along the bay have been home to peregrine falcons.

The name for the bay and river come from a rock formation near the river's mouth that resembles the face of an old woman.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Old Woman River". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  2. ^ a b Bob Turner; Marianne Quat; Ruth Debicki; Phil Thurston (2015). "Lake Superior Provincial Park - On the Geological Shores of the World's Largest Freshwater Lake" (PDF). Natural Resources Canada and Ontario Geological Survey. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
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