Great Bear River

Great Bear River
Great Bear River exits Great Bear Lake near Deline
Native name	Sahtúdé (Slave)
Location
Country	Canada
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada
• coordinates	65°08′03″N 123°30′45″W / 65.13417°N 123.51250°W / 65.13417; -123.51250
• elevation	186 m (610 ft)
Mouth	Mackenzie River
• location	Tulita, Northwest Territories, Canada
• coordinates	64°54′21″N 125°36′12″W / 64.90583°N 125.60333°W / 64.90583; -125.60333
• elevation	60 m (200 ft)
Length	113 km (70 mi)
Basin size	156,500 km2 (60,400 sq mi)
Discharge
• location	Mackenzie River[1]
• average	528 m3/s (18,600 cu ft/s)
• maximum	995 m3/s (35,100 cu ft/s)
[2][3]

The 113-kilometre-long (70 mi) Great Bear River, which drains the Great Bear Lake westward through marshes into the Mackenzie River, forms an important transportation link during its four ice-free months. It originates at south-west bay of the lake. The river has irregular meander pattern 350-metre-wide (1,150 ft) channel with average depth 6 metres (20 ft). Historic air photos show no evidence of bank erosion or channel migration in a 50-year period.

The low discharge rate is due to small amount of precipitation in watershed area.^[4] Great Bear River contained open reaches that had melted out in place over 80 percent of its length in 1972 and 1974.^[1]

The settlement of Tulita is located at the mouth of the river.

The tributaries of the Great Bear River include;^[3]

• Porcupine River
• Rosalie Creek
• Stick Creek
• Wolverine Creek
• St. Charles Creek
• Brackett River

• List of rivers of the Northwest Territories

• Great Bear Lake: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article
• Canadian Council for Geographic Education page with a series of articles on the history of the Mackenzie River.
• Mackenzie River (river, Canada) : The lower course -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia.