Moira River
Encyclopedia
The Moira River is a river in Hastings County
in eastern Ontario
, Canada
. It travels from its source in the centre of the county to the county seat Belleville
and is named after Francis Rawdon-Hastings
, Earl of Moira
.
at an elevation of 355 metres (1,165 ft). It flows south and then southeast into the township of Madoc
, passes through Wolf Lake at an elevation of 276 metres (906 ft), is crossed by Highway 62
, and takes in the right tributary Jordan River at the settlement of Bannockburn, before heading south. The river loops east then back west under the highway at Keller Bridge and continues south to the west of Eldorado. The river takes a sharp turn west, before taking in the right tributary Gawley Creek and heading south again at Malone in the municipality of Marmora and Lake
. It passes through Deloro Lake and over the Deloro Dam at Deloro at an elevation of 200 metres (656 ft), and is crossed by Highway 7
. The Moira then heads east, enters the township of Stirling-Rawdon
, and empties into Bend Bay on Moira Lake
at an elevation of 154 metres (505 ft), south of the community of Madoc
, where it takes in the left tributary Madoc Creek. The river continues east from the lake, enters the municipality of Tweed
and takes in the left tributaries Black River
and Skootamatta River
. It then heads south through the village of Tweed, Ontario
into Stoco Lake
at an elevation of 138 metres (453 ft), where it takes in the left tributaries Sulphide Creek
and Clare River
. The river leaves the lake via two channels, an eastern channel Moira River and the named West Channel, which enclose Sugar Island. It heads southwest, and is paralleled by Highway 37
from Tweed all the way to Belleville. The river flows through the northwest corner of the township of Tyendinaga
and enters the city of Belleville, continuing southeast. It takes in the right tributaries Chrysal Creek
and Palliser Creek, flows over the Belleville Yardmen Dam and the McLeod Dam and reaches its mouth at the Bay of Quinte
, Lake Ontario
.
(one east) and Frontenac
(two east). Tributaries of the Clare River extend into the township of Central Frontenac
in Frontenac County. The Clare River also is in the townships of Stone Mills
and Addington Highlands
in Lennox and Addington County. The Skootamatta River and tributitaries flow through Addington Highlands as well. The tributaries also extend further north in Hastings County than the Moira itself. For example, Partidge Creek in the Skootamatta system extends past Upper Partridge Lake
to 44° 57′ 28″ North in the more northerly Cashel portion of the township of Tudor and Cashel.
Hastings County, Ontario
Hastings County is located in the province of Ontario, Canada. It is The Cheese Capital of Canada. Geographically, it is located on the border of Eastern Ontario and Central Ontario. The population was 125,915 in 2001 and grew to 130,474 in the 2006 Canada Census...
in eastern 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...
. It travels from its source in the centre of the county to the county seat Belleville
Belleville, Ontario
Belleville is a city located at the mouth of the Moira River on the Bay of Quinte in Southern Ontario, Canada, in the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. It is the seat of Hastings County, but is politically independent of it. and the centre of the Bay of Quinte Region...
and is named after Francis Rawdon-Hastings
Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings
Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings KG PC , styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762 and as The Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783 and known as The Earl of Moira between 1793 and 1816, was an Irish-British politician and military officer who served as...
, Earl of Moira
Moira, County Down
Moira is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is in the northwest of the county, near the borders with counties Antrim and Armagh. The M1 motorway and Dublin–Belfast railway line are nearby. The settlement has existed since time immemorial...
.
Course
The Moira River begins at an unnamed lake just south of the settlement of Gunter in the more southerly Tudor portion of the township of Tudor and CashelTudor and Cashel, Ontario
Tudor and Cashel is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Hastings County.The township consists of two non-contiguous portions, separated by Limerick township and the northernmost portion of Tweed...
at an elevation of 355 metres (1,165 ft). It flows south and then southeast into the township of Madoc
Madoc, Ontario
Madoc is a township in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in Hastings County.The township was named after legendary Welsh prince Madoc ap Owain Gwynedd, credited by some with discovering North America in 1170.-Communities:...
, passes through Wolf Lake at an elevation of 276 metres (906 ft), is crossed by Highway 62
Highway 62 (Ontario)
King's Highway 62, commonly referred to as Highway 62, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The highway travels south-north from Highway 33 at Bloomfield in Prince Edward County, through Belleville, Madoc and Bancroft, to Maynooth, where it ends at a...
, and takes in the right tributary Jordan River at the settlement of Bannockburn, before heading south. The river loops east then back west under the highway at Keller Bridge and continues south to the west of Eldorado. The river takes a sharp turn west, before taking in the right tributary Gawley Creek and heading south again at Malone in the municipality of Marmora and Lake
Marmora and Lake, Ontario
Marmora and Lake is a township municipality and census subdivision in Hastings County, Ontario, Canada.-Communities:*Cordova Mines*Deloro*Malone*Marmora*Marmora Station-History:...
. It passes through Deloro Lake and over the Deloro Dam at Deloro at an elevation of 200 metres (656 ft), and is crossed by Highway 7
Highway 7 (Ontario)
King's Highway 7, commonly referred to as Highway 7 and historically as the Northern Highway, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario...
. The Moira then heads east, enters the township of Stirling-Rawdon
Stirling-Rawdon, Ontario
Stirling-Rawdon is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Hastings County.-Communities:The township comprises the communities of Anson, Bonarlaw, Harold, Minto, Mount Pleasant, Sine, Springbrook, Stirling and Wellman....
, and empties into Bend Bay on Moira Lake
Moira Lake
Moira Lake is a lake in Hastings County in Ontario, Canada. Located on Highway 62 south of Madoc and Highway 7, it is a recreational lake with cottage development along much of the shoreline. The lake is fed by the Moira River. There is a boat launch and a trail that runs past the lake following an...
at an elevation of 154 metres (505 ft), south of the community of Madoc
Madoc, Ontario (town)
Madoc is a community in the municipality of Centre Hastings, Hastings County, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the junction of Highway 7 and Highway 62, southeast of Bancroft, halfway between Toronto and Ottawa.-History:...
, where it takes in the left tributary Madoc Creek. The river continues east from the lake, enters the municipality of Tweed
Tweed, Ontario
Tweed is a municipality and a village located in central-eastern Ontario, Canada, in Hastings County.The Municipality of Tweed is an amalgamated municipality comprising the former Village of Tweed and the former Townships of Hungerford and Elzevir & Grimsthorpe...
and takes in the left tributaries Black River
Black River (Ontario)
Black River may refer to several rivers by that name in the province of Ontario, Canada.*The Black River in Hastings County, Ontario joins the Moira River near Tweed, Ontario....
and Skootamatta River
Skootamatta River
The Skootamatta River is a river in the Lake Ontario drainage basin in Hastings and Lennox and Addington Counties in Ontario, Canada. It flows from Joeperry Lake to join the Moira River in Tweed...
. It then heads south through the village of Tweed, Ontario
Tweed, Ontario (village)
Tweed, Ontario is a community on Stoco Lake and the only urban centre in the Municipality of Tweed in Hastings County, central-eastern Ontario, Canada. Tweed has a population of 1,540 according to the 2001 Canada Census...
into Stoco Lake
Stoco Lake
Stoco Lake is a lake in the Lake Ontario drainage basin in Tweed, Hastings County, Ontario, Canada.The lake is about long and wide, and lies at an elevation of . There are two named islands, Butternut Island and Grant Island, and one named bay, Cosy Cove at the northeast. The primary inflow is...
at an elevation of 138 metres (453 ft), where it takes in the left tributaries Sulphide Creek
Sulphide Creek (Hastings County, Ontario)
Sulphide Creek is a creek in the Moira River and Lake Ontario drainage basins in Tweed, Hastings County and Addington Highlands, Lennox and Addington County in Ontario, Canada.-Course:...
and Clare River
Clare River (Ontario)
The Clare River is a river that is part of the Moira River system in the Lake Ontario drainage basin in Hastings and Lennox and Addington Counties, Ontario, Canada.-Course:...
. The river leaves the lake via two channels, an eastern channel Moira River and the named West Channel, which enclose Sugar Island. It heads southwest, and is paralleled by Highway 37
Highway 37 (Ontario)
King's Highway 37, commonly referred to as Highway 37, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its northern terminus is at Highway 7 in Actinolite , and its southern terminus was formerly at Highway 62 in Belleville; however, in 1998 the terminus was...
from Tweed all the way to Belleville. The river flows through the northwest corner of the township of Tyendinaga
Tyendinaga, Ontario
Tyendinaga is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Hastings County. The township had a population of 4,070 in the Canada 2006 Census....
and enters the city of Belleville, continuing southeast. It takes in the right tributaries Chrysal Creek
Chrysal Creek
Chrysal Creek is a creek in the Moira River and Lake Ontario drainage basins in Belleville and Quinte West, Hastings County, Ontario, Canada.-Course:...
and Palliser Creek, flows over the Belleville Yardmen Dam and the McLeod Dam and reaches its mouth at the Bay of Quinte
Bay of Quinte
The Bay of Quinte is a long, narrow bay shaped like the letter "Z" on the northern shore of Lake Ontario in the province of Ontario, Canada. It is just west of the head of the Saint Lawrence River that drains the Great Lakes into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
, Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
.
Watershed
While the Moira river itself is entirely within Hastings County, the watershed includes parts of the next two counties to the east, Lennox and AddingtonLennox and Addington County, Ontario
Lennox and Addington County, Ontario is a county and census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The county seat is Greater Napanee. It is located in the subregion of Southern Ontario named Eastern Ontario.It includes the following municipalities:...
(one east) and Frontenac
Frontenac County, Ontario
Frontenac County, as defined by Statistics Canada, is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario. The City of Kingston is included in the census division, but is politically separated from the County of Frontenac. It has a land...
(two east). Tributaries of the Clare River extend into the township of Central Frontenac
Central Frontenac, Ontario
Central Frontenac is a township in eastern Ontario, Canada in the County of Frontenac.Central Frontenac was created in 1998 through an amalgamation of the Townships of Hinchinbrooke, Kennebec, Olden and Oso.-Communities:* Arden* Ardendale* Bordenwood...
in Frontenac County. The Clare River also is in the townships of Stone Mills
Stone Mills, Ontario
Stone Mills is a township located east of Greater Napanee in Lennox and Addington County, Ontario. According to the 2006 Canadian Census, the township has a population of 7,568.-Communities:...
and Addington Highlands
Addington Highlands, Ontario
Addington Highlands is a township in central eastern Ontario, Canada, in the County of Lennox and Addington.Bon Echo Provincial Park is for the most part located in the township.-Communities:...
in Lennox and Addington County. The Skootamatta River and tributitaries flow through Addington Highlands as well. The tributaries also extend further north in Hastings County than the Moira itself. For example, Partidge Creek in the Skootamatta system extends past Upper Partridge Lake
Upper Partridge Lake (Ontario)
Upper Partridge Lake is a fresh water lake in the Lake Ontario drainage basin in the Cashel portion of the township of Tudor and Cashel, Hastings County, Ontario, Canada. It is about southwest of the community of McCrae and just south of Weslemkoon Lake Road that leads to that...
to 44° 57′ 28″ North in the more northerly Cashel portion of the township of Tudor and Cashel.
Tributaries
- Palliser Creek (right)
- Chrysal Creek (right)
- Clare River (left)
- Sulphide Creek (left
- Skootamatta River (left)
- Black River (left)
- Madoc Creek (left)
- Gawley Creek (right)
- Jordan River (right)