Penetangore River
Encyclopedia
The Penetangore River is a river
in Bruce County, Ontario
which empties into Lake Huron
at the town of Kincardine, Ontario
. A boardwalk, a harbour, and the Kincardine lighthouse
are located on the bank of this river near its mouth.
The name Penetangore is believed to come from an Ojibwa
word meaning "river with sand on one side", referring to the sand bar at the river's mouth. Penetangore was also the original name of the settlement that became the town of Kincardine . The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority has worked since the early 1970s to control erosion of steep banks within the town limit.
Every spring the river hosts an annual run of rainbow trout, as well as a few sucker species, lasting into May. In autumn, the river hosts a run of pacific salmon lasting well into October. Numbers of salmon travelling upriver, however, are particularly down from numbers anglers remember from the 1980s and 1990s, and thus anglers are strongly encouraged by the MNR to practice catch and release in an effort to increase natural reproduction.
Conservation efforts have been conducted since the early 2000s to restore the river. Important gravel spawning beds far upriver, enjoyed by the salmon and trout as recently as the 1990s, have become overgrown and many of the pools upriver once connected to prime gravel runs are now stagnant due the reduced rapids connected to them. The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority (SVCA) has reported that over 2002-2006 the Penetangore River watershed had poor forest cover and wetland conditions and poor surface water quality. The report recommended allowing low-lying areas along the riverbanks to naturalize into wetlands and planting trees along the riverbanks and on property lines. The SVCA and the Lake Huron Fishing Club have been active in fencing off cattle and planting trees along the river , with the Penetangore Watershed Group also organizing tree-planting.
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 Bruce County, Ontario
Bruce County, Ontario
Bruce County is a county in western Ontario, Canada, and includes the Bruce Peninsula. As of 2006, the population was 65,349. The area was . The county seat is Walkerton, Ontario. It is located at ....
which 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 town of Kincardine, Ontario
Kincardine, Ontario
The Municipality of Kincardine is located on the shores of Lake Huron in the County of Bruce in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has a population of 12,000, and covers an area of 580 square kilometres...
. A boardwalk, a harbour, and the Kincardine lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
are located on the bank of this river near its mouth.
The name Penetangore is believed to come from an Ojibwa
Ojibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
word meaning "river with sand on one side", referring to the sand bar at the river's mouth. Penetangore was also the original name of the settlement that became the town of Kincardine . The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority has worked since the early 1970s to control erosion of steep banks within the town limit.
Every spring the river hosts an annual run of rainbow trout, as well as a few sucker species, lasting into May. In autumn, the river hosts a run of pacific salmon lasting well into October. Numbers of salmon travelling upriver, however, are particularly down from numbers anglers remember from the 1980s and 1990s, and thus anglers are strongly encouraged by the MNR to practice catch and release in an effort to increase natural reproduction.
Conservation efforts have been conducted since the early 2000s to restore the river. Important gravel spawning beds far upriver, enjoyed by the salmon and trout as recently as the 1990s, have become overgrown and many of the pools upriver once connected to prime gravel runs are now stagnant due the reduced rapids connected to them. The Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority (SVCA) has reported that over 2002-2006 the Penetangore River watershed had poor forest cover and wetland conditions and poor surface water quality. The report recommended allowing low-lying areas along the riverbanks to naturalize into wetlands and planting trees along the riverbanks and on property lines. The SVCA and the Lake Huron Fishing Club have been active in fencing off cattle and planting trees along the river , with the Penetangore Watershed Group also organizing tree-planting.