| Ekwan River | |
|---|---|
  Location of the mouth of the Ekwan River in Ontario. | |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Region | Northwestern Ontario |
| District | Kenora |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Zumar Lake |
| • coordinates | 52°20′31″N87°12′13″W / 52.34194°N 87.20361°W /52.34194; -87.20361 |
| • elevation | 239 m (784 ft) |
| Mouth | James Bay |
• coordinates | 53°12′00″N82°14′59″W / 53.20000°N 82.24972°W /53.20000; -82.24972 |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 500 km (310 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | James Baydrainage basin |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Little Ekwan River, North Washagami River |
| • right | Crooked River, Matateto River |
TheEkwan River is a river inKenora District innorthwesternOntario, Canada. It appears as Equam on Bellin map of 1744. Ekwan River is of Cree origin, meaning "the river far up the coast".[1] It travels about 500 kilometres (311 mi) from its source at Zumar Lake on theCanadian Shield, through theHudson Bay Lowlands, northeast and then east, to its mouth onJames Bay.[2][3]
The Ekwandrainage basin lies between and is enveloped by the larger ones of neighbouring rivers, theWinisk River on the north and theAttawapiskat River on the south. The source of the river isZumar Lake at an elevation of 239 metres (784 ft), just 8 kilometres (5 mi) northeast of part of the North Channel outlet fromAttawapiskat Lake, the source of the Attawapiskat River. It travels northeast over a series of rapids and falls, taking in various small tributaries, to a confluence point at53°10′43″N86°13′30″W / 53.17861°N 86.22500°W /53.17861; -86.22500 at an elevation of 134 metres (440 ft), where an unnamed tributary, which begins at a point52°55′58″N86°14′06″W / 52.93278°N 86.23500°W /52.93278; -86.23500 within 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of the Attawapiskat River, joins from the right.
The river continues northeast to take in the North Washagami River from the left at an elevation of 81 metres (266 ft) then on to its point furthest north at53°50′17″N84°47′15″W / 53.83806°N 84.78750°W /53.83806; -84.78750, before turning southeast for 50 kilometres (31 mi). Then, within 5 kilometres (3 mi), three named tributaries join: the Matateto River from the right; the Crooked River from the right; and the Little Ekwan River from the left. They join at an elevation of about 70 metres (230 ft). The Ekwan River continues east southeast for 160 kilometres (99 mi), passing over the Flint Rapids at53°29′41″N83°39′32″W / 53.49472°N 83.65889°W /53.49472; -83.65889 at an elevation of 63 metres (207 ft), before reaching its mouth at sea level at the Akimiski Strait on James Bay, across from the western tip ofAkimiski Island, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of the mouth of the Attawapiskat River.
Discharge measurements taken for 28 years to 1995 below the confluence point of the North Washagami River at a point near53°48′N84°55′W / 53.80°N 84.92°W /53.80; -84.92 showed a high mean monthly discharge of 328.321 cubic metres (11,594.547 cu ft) per second in May and a low of 6.179 cubic metres (218.209 cu ft) per second in March.[4]
Mining exploration has taken place on the upper reaches of the river.[5]