| Great Bear River | |
|---|---|
.png) 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 |
| • 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 |
• 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.
