Boundary Waters

Boundary Watreps stretches from the mouth of the River Pigeon, which flows into Lake Superior to Lake La Croix. The area is located at an altitude of 474 meters above sea level between the northern and southern lakes. The waterway consists of many rivers, lakes and canals sandwiched in the rocks. It is located in the southern part of the continental ridge, which divides the waters of the Hudson Bay and the Atlantic Ocean ^[1] .

In total, Boundary Waters includes 1,450 km of water routes in Canada and 2,400 km in the United States. The 250-kilometer section of Boundary Waters - Voyager-Waterway is, in turn, a large waterway connecting Lake Superior with Lake Forest . The Boundary Waters includes three cascading waterfalls : a cascade along the Pigeon River 0.5 km long with a total height of 200 meters, a two-stage Partridge Falls waterfall 21 meters high and a 28-meter high falls waterfall. The latter is the highest waterfall in Minnesota ^[1] .

About 2.5 million years ago, a glacier that came from the northeast broke through many channels in rather fragile stone deposits. About 15 thousand years ago, the glacier began to melt and leave this land, leaving behind sand and clay, which formed many barriers to water and formed chains of lakes connected by narrow streams ^[2] . On the northern shore of Lake Saganaga, you can observe some of Canada’s best examples of Precambrian geological activity, which are 2.7 billion years old ^[1] .

The gj Canada region can be reached by car on Highway 61, which crosses the Pigeon River in the Middle Falls area, or on impassable roads from Highway 588 to North Fowl and from Highway 693 to Mountain Lakes. In the United States, branches to the Boundary Waters are from Minnesota highways: the Echo-Trail and Gunfleet-Trail ^[1] , built back in the 1930s ^[3] . Waterways include passes from French Lakes, Beaverhouse, Num, Northern Light and Arrow. The water route usually ends with the Grand Portage ^[4] crossing, 13.6 km long to Lake Superior, or a 7.7 km long trail to Minnesota's Cook County Road # 17. Routes towards La Croix require longer crossings ^[1] .

Nature in the Boundary Waters area is represented by coniferous forests in the north, mixed and marshy forests in the Great Lakes region, fields of the Great Plains. In total, more than 400 species of plants grow in the vicinity of Boundary Waters. Here you can find rare plant species more characteristic of the Arctic and subarctic regions, as well as the western mountains. Cuetiko Park is a favorite nesting place for bald eagles , which are a rare view of the rest of the United States and Canada. The main species of fish are light-pike perch , pike , small perch , mykizha , American pale , trout , whitefish ^[1] .

Boundary Waters is characterized by low rainfall and moderate summer temperatures (about 22 ° C) ^[1] . Before the start of fire prevention at the end of the 19th century, regular large fires occurred in the area. In particular, the fires of 1595, 1681, 1692, 1727, 1755-1759, 1796, 1801, 1822, 1824, 1863-1864, 1875 led to a natural renewal of three quarters of the region every 50-100 years. A major fire of 1863-1864 devastated about half of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness ^[2] .

Territory Protection

Most of the territory on the shores of Boundary Waters is protected by the United States and Canada. In Canada, on the shores of Boundary Waters, Cuetiko and Middle Falls provincial parks are located, in the United States - Superior National Park (including Boundary Waters Canoe) and the Grand Portage National Monument ^[1] .

In the United States, the National Forest Superior with an area of ​​1.2 million acres was formed in 1909 by decree of Theodore Roosevelt , the territory was also recognized as a hunting reserve (Superior Game Refuge). Its area is constantly growing. In 1926, a wilderness-free wilderness area was designated in the Lake Superior area. In 1958, this site became known as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area ^[3] .

Since 1986, Boundary Waters - Voyager Waterway has been a member of Canada's protected river system. ^[one]

The Boundary Waters waterway has been used for over ten thousand years. Initially, they were used by the Paleo-Indians (Big Game Hunters and Old Copper people ^[2] ), Archaic, Laurel and Late Woodland ^[1] , and then representatives of the Dakota ^[2] , Ojibwe and Cree ^[1] tribes. The Dakota Indians came to Boundary Waters from the south and occupied most of the territory. In the years 1650-1770, the Dakota tribe was driven out by the Ojibwe Indians, who were forced to flee west of the Iroquois ^[2] . In the adjacent territories, 124 archaeological sites related to pre-European culture are located, including Ojibwe and Cree pictographs dating back to the 16th century, samples of stone tools of the Paleo-Indians and Blackduck sites ^[1] .

With the advent of Europeans, the route began to be used by researchers, missionaries , migrants and prospectors ^[1] . Boundary Waters played a significant role in the routes of voyeurs ^[5] . It was part of the main waterway connecting Montreal with Lake Winnipeg , which allowed fur traders to enter western Canada ^[1] . In 1660 ^[6] on the northern shore of Lake Superior appeared the first Europeans: Chouard de Grozeye and Pierre-Esprey Radisson . They may have used crossings to Rainey Lake and the Winnipeg River . Jacques de Noyon traveled the full length along the Boundary Waters from 1688 to 1689, having spent the winter on the Ouchichiq River ^[2] . In the years 1670-1821 there was a route passing through the Kaministikva river. In the years 1731-1804, a route was used passing through the river Pijn. It had two trading posts, Lac D'Orignal and Fort Charlotte, which were founded in 1731-1749 by Pierre Gauthier de Varennes, Sier de La Verandri. Annually, up to 800 people, representatives of the trading teams of the North-West Company , who exchanged goods met in these posts ^[1] . In the 1870s, a trading post in the eastern part of Lake Rove was founded by Henry Mayhew. The road that led to the post and which was originally used by the Ojibwe for several hundred years, was called the Ganflint Trail. In the 1890s, the road continued to the Lakes Poplar, Ganflint and Cross River. Currently, the total length of the route is 63 km. It crosses Birch Lake - a lake that is a watershed between the waters of Lake Superior and the Hudson Bay ^[2] .

In 1797, the region was visited by a representative of the Northwest Company, astronomer and cartographer David Thompson , who created the first map of the area. In 1842, the area was divided between Great Britain and the USA ^[2] .

Subsequently, the area around Boundary Waters was used by prospectors (1870s - 1900s), lumberjacks (1820s - 1930s), and railway companies (1882-1938) ^[1] .

Since the beginning of the XX century, this site has become a favorite vacation spot. Boundary Waters is currently one of the most popular canoe tours in North America. ^[5] It is visited by more than a million tourists annually.

The area around Boundary Waters has been repeatedly disputed by various countries and has been the subject of many agreements. Among them are a debate on the border between the United States and British North America (1776), the Paris Agreement (1783), the Webster-Ashburton Agreement (1842), the Robinson-Superior Agreement (1850) ^[1] , Treaty of LaPointe (1854).

• Boundary Waters - Voyageur Waterway: Map // The Canadian Heritage River System