Hay River (Canada)


The Hay River is a large river in northern Alberta and southern Northwest Territories, Canada.
It originates in the muskeg of north western Alberta, flows west to British Columbia, then curves northward and returns to Alberta, where it follows a north-northeast course towards the Northwest Territories. After passing over two main waterfalls, the Alexandra Falls and Louise Falls, it flows through the town of Hay River and discharges into the Great Slave Lake. From there, its waters are carried to the Arctic Ocean by the Mackenzie River.
Hay River has a total length of and a drainage area of.
Tributaries of the Hay River are the Chinchaga River, Meander River, Steen River, Melvin River and Little Hay River. The Hay River effectively flows through the Hay-Zama Lakes. Rainbow Lake is a widening of the river itself.
Communities in the Hay River basin include Rainbow Lake, Zama City, Steen River, Indian Cabins in Alberta and Enterprise and the homonymous Hay River in the Northwest Territories. There are two first nations communities in the river basin: Chateh and Meander River.
At the Alberta – Northwest Territories border, the annual discharge is.

Tributaries

;Alberta
;British Columbia
;Alberta
;Northwest Territories