Canada is nearly overflowing with plenty of neat natural wonders, and one river in the Prairies is known for its red colour and even holds a significant designation.
The Red River, also known as the Red River of the North, flows north into Manitoba from the boundary between the states of North Dakota and Minnesota before entering Lake Winnipeg. Situated in the fertile Red River Valley, the banks of the 885 km long Red River are prone to flooding during the spring thaw, threatening cities and towns along its course like Winnipeg, Man.; Fargo, North Dakota; and Moorhead, Minnesota.
The river is also home to a variety of important fish species, including channel catfish, walleye, and bigmouth buffalo, according to the International Joint Commission.
It’s the only major river on the Canadian Prairies that flows in a northerly direction, and it holds two distinct ecozones that characterize the region: the boreal plains ecozone and the prairie ecozone. The river’s notable features include its adjacent wetlands and marshes, such as the Netley Marsh; its severe periodic flooding; and its rich soils, which support one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world.
Its distinct colour can easily be spotted from high up in the air. On a recent flight, I snapped some photos of its wide berth and reddish-brown colour while over Manitoba.
Laine Mitchell/Daily Hive
The river and its valley floodplain are remnants of the glacial Lake Agassiz, which formed approximately 8,000 years ago in southern Manitoba.
The river also holds significant cultural value, and for centuries, various peoples and cultures have relied on the river as a mode of passage and a source of water and food. Many significant events, place names and historical and archaeological sites are associated with the river. These include sites providing evidence of thousands of years of First Nations settlement and land use, several significant fur trade forts and posts, and the Red River colony – the first European agricultural settlement in Western Canada.
There are also national historic sites dotted along the river, including The Forks and Lower Fort Garry.
Adrien Le Toux/Shutterstock
The entire 175 km length of the Red River in Manitoba was designated to the Canadian Heritage Rivers System in 2007, based on its outstanding cultural values.