Bayfield River
Encyclopedia
The Bayfield River is a river
in Huron
and Perth
Counties in southwestern
Ontario
, Canada
, that empties into Lake Huron
at the community of Bayfield
in the municipality of Bluewater
.
The river and community are named after Henry Wolsey Bayfield
who surveyed the area in the early 19th century.
, Perth County at the confluence of the Cooke Drain and the Liffey Ditch. The river flows immediately west under Perth County Road 180 and takes in the left tributary McGrath Drain. It continues west northwest taking the left tributary Tyndall Drain and then the right tributary Silver Creek at the community of Egmondville
, today part of the community of Seaforth
in the municipality of Huron East
, Huron County. It continues west northwest and takes in the left tributary Broadfoot Drain, and right tributaries Carnochan Drain and Helgrammite Creek before passing under Ontario Highway 4 between the community Clinton
in Central Huron
to the north and the community of Vanastra
in Huron East, to the south. The river then turns southwest and takes in the right tributary Tricks Creek, heads south and takes in the left tributaries Wiltse Creek and Bannockburn River, and then turns sharply west just north of the community of Varna in Bluewater. It takes in the right tributaries Middletons Creek and Brandt Creek before passing under Ontario Highway 21 and reaching its mouth at Lake Huron in Bayfield.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in Huron
Huron County, Ontario
Huron County is a census division and county of the province of Ontario, Canada. It is located on the southeast shore of its namesake, Lake Huron, in the southwest part of the province...
and Perth
Perth County, Ontario
Perth County is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is Stratford and is located in Southwestern Ontario, west of Toronto. It encompasses , 90% of which is classified as prime agricultural land...
Counties in southwestern
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, that empties into Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
at the community of Bayfield
Bayfield, Ontario
Bayfield, is a community located within the Municipality of Bluewater, Ontario, Canada on the eastern shore of Lake Huron, situated at the mouth of Bayfield River....
in the municipality of Bluewater
Bluewater, Ontario
The Municipality of Bluewater is located in Huron County, Ontario, Canada. It was formed in 2001 when the Ontario Government instituted the amalgamation of municipalities throughout the province. Specifically, the former townships of Hay and Stanley were merged with the villages of Bayfield,...
.
The river and community are named after Henry Wolsey Bayfield
Henry Wolsey Bayfield
Admiral Henry Wolsey Bayfield was a British naval officer and surveyor.- Early life and career :Bayfield was born in Kingston-upon-Hull, to John Wolsey Bayfield and Eliza Petit. His family was an ancient one, who at one time lived at Bayfield Hall in Norfolk...
who surveyed the area in the early 19th century.
Course
The river begins just south of the community of Dublin in West PerthWest Perth, Ontario
West Perth is a municipality in Ontario, Canada, situated in Western Perth County, just west of the city of Stratford.Mitchell is the largest community within the municipality and all of the municipal offices, administration, and services are based there. Smaller communities include Bornholm,...
, Perth County at the confluence of the Cooke Drain and the Liffey Ditch. The river flows immediately west under Perth County Road 180 and takes in the left tributary McGrath Drain. It continues west northwest taking the left tributary Tyndall Drain and then the right tributary Silver Creek at the community of Egmondville
Egmondville, Ontario
Egmondville is an historic former village now part of the community of Seaforth in the municipality of Huron East, in Huron County, Ontario, Canada. The community was founded in 1845 by Constant Van Egmond, the eldest son of Anthony Van Egmond and named in honour of his father.-Sources:Lee, Robert...
, today part of the community of Seaforth
Seaforth, Ontario
Seaforth is a Southern Ontario community in the municipality of Huron East, in Huron County, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
in the municipality of Huron East
Huron East, Ontario
The Municipality of Huron East is located in Huron County, Ontario. It was formed in 2001 as an amalgamation of the former Grey, McKillop and Tuckersmith townships with the town of Seaforth and village of Brussels due to an Ontario-wide local government restructuring imposed by the government of...
, Huron County. It continues west northwest and takes in the left tributary Broadfoot Drain, and right tributaries Carnochan Drain and Helgrammite Creek before passing under Ontario Highway 4 between the community Clinton
Clinton, Ontario
Clinton is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the municipality of Central Huron. Established in 1831, Clinton first began when Jonas Gibbings, Peter and Stephen Vanderburg cleared out a small area to start. Clinton started to grow in 1844 when William Rattenbury laid out...
in Central Huron
Central Huron, Ontario
Central Huron is a township in western Ontario, Canada, in Huron County. It is situated on Lake Huron between the Maitland River and the Bayfield River....
to the north and the community of Vanastra
Vanastra, Ontario
Vanastra, Ontario is located in the municipality of Huron East in Huron County, three kilometres south of Clinton, Ontario.It is located on the property of CFB Clinton, a former Canadian Forces Base and prior to 1968, a Royal Canadian Air Force station used for radar training.The present name...
in Huron East, to the south. The river then turns southwest and takes in the right tributary Tricks Creek, heads south and takes in the left tributaries Wiltse Creek and Bannockburn River, and then turns sharply west just north of the community of Varna in Bluewater. It takes in the right tributaries Middletons Creek and Brandt Creek before passing under Ontario Highway 21 and reaching its mouth at Lake Huron in Bayfield.
Tributaries
- Brandt Creek (right)
- Middletons Creek (right)
- Bannockburn River (left)
- Wiltse Creek (left)
- Tricks Creek (right)
- Helgrammite Creek (right)
- Carnochan Drain (right)
- Broadfoot Drain (left)
- Silver Creek (right)
- Tyndall Drain (left)
- McGrath Drain (left)
- Cooke Drain and Liffey Ditch (confluence)