Severn River (Hudson Bay)

For the Severn River in Central Ontario, see Severn River (Georgian Bay).

The Severn River is a river in northern Ontario. The northern Ontario river has its headwaters near the western border of the province. From the head of the Black Birch River, the Severn River is 982 km (610 mi) long, tying it with the Albany River for the title of longest river entirely in Ontario.^{[citation needed]} Its drainage basin area is 102,800 km² (39,700 sq mi),^[1] a small portion of which is in Manitoba. Its source is Deer Lake and flows northeasterly into Severn Lake, then by a second section to Hudson Bay where it ends at Fort Severn.

Severn River
Severn River near its mouth at Fort Severn
Location of the mouth of Severn River in Ontario
Location
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Physical characteristics
Source	Deer Lake
• location	Deer Lake, Kenora District
• coordinates	52°40′N 94°25′W
• elevation	310 m (1,020 ft)
Mouth	Hudson Bay
• location	Fort Severn
• coordinates	55°59′N 87°38′W
Length	982 km (610 mi)[1]
Basin size	102,800 km2 (39,700 sq mi)[1]
Discharge
• location	Limestone Rapids[2]
• average	644.8 m3/s (22,770 cu ft/s)[2]
• minimum	196.67 m3/s (6,945 cu ft/s)[2]
• maximum	1,252.4 m3/s (44,230 cu ft/s)[2]
Basin features
River system	Hudson Bay drainage basin

The First Nation communities of Sandy Lake, Bearskin Lake, and Fort Severn are located along the river. These were formed at the sites of former trading posts built when the Severn River was a prominent river during the fur trade era.

The mouth of the river was located by the English in 1631 during expeditions by captains Thomas James and Luke Foxe.^{[3]: 13, 28} Later, Fort Severn was established there as a trading post in 1689 by the Hudson's Bay Company. It was captured by Pierre le Moyne, sieur d'Iberville in 1690. The post, rebuilt in 1759, has been in continuous operation to this day making this community one of the oldest European settlements in Ontario.

At its source on Deer Lake is the small community of Deer Lake, Ontario.

Tributaries

Tributaries of the northern Severn River include:

• McInness River
• Cobham River (source in Manitoba)
• Windigo River
• Makoop River
• Blackbear River
• Sachigo River
  • Wapaseese River
  • Beaver Stone River
• Fawn River
• Beaver River

See also

• List of longest rivers of Canada
• List of Ontario rivers

References

1. "The Atlas of Canada - Rivers". Natural Resources Canada. October 25, 2010. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013.
2. "Global River Discharge Database - Severn River". sage.nelson.wisc.edu. Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
3. Christianson, David J. (1980). New Severn or Nieu Savanne: The Identification of an Early Hudson Bay Fur Trade Post (PDF) (Master's thesis). McMaster University.