Rainy Lake(French:lac à la Pluie;Ojibwe:gojiji-zaaga'igan) is a freshwater lake with a surface area of 360 square miles (932 km2) that straddles the border between theUnited StatesandCanada.TheRainy Riverissues from the west side of the lake. Today it is harnessed to makehydroelectricityfor US and Canadian locations.International Falls, Minnesotaand the much smaller city ofRanier, Minnesotaare situated oppositeFort Frances,Ontario,on either side of the Rainy River. Rainy Lake and Rainy River establish part of the boundary between the US state of Minnesota and the Canadian province of Ontario.[2]
| Rainy Lake | |
|---|---|
 Characteristic shoreline and islands of Rainy Lake | |
  Rainy Lake Location of Rainy Lake on the US/Canadian border between Minnesota and Ontario  Rainy Lake Rainy Lake (Minnesota) | |
 | |
| Location | Minnesota, United States; Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 48°38′13″N93°01′53″W/ 48.6369°N 93.0314°W |
| Type | remnant of former glacialLake Agassiz |
| Primary inflows | Namakan Lake Kabetogama Lake Seine River |
| Primary outflows | Rainy River |
| Basincountries | Canada, United States |
| Max. length | 80 km (50 mi) |
| Max. width | 48 km (30 mi) |
| Surface area | 932 km2(360 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 50 m (160 ft) highly variable |
| Shore length1 | 1,500 km (930 mi) 2,520 km (1,570 mi) (w/ Islands) highly irregular, rocky shoreline |
| Surface elevation | 338 m (1,109 ft) |
| Islands | ~2,568[1] |
| Settlements | International Falls, Minnesota Ranier, Minnesota Fort Frances,Ontario |
| 1Shore length isnot a well-defined measure. | |
Voyageurs National Parkis located on the southeastern corner of the lake, where it connects withKabetogamaand Namakan lakes atKettle Falls.Rainy Lake is part of an extremely large system of lakes forming theHudson Bay drainage basinthat stretches from west ofLake Superiornorth to theArctic Ocean.The Rainy Lake watershed includes theBoundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness(BWCA), portions of theSuperior National Foreston the US side of the border, and theQuetico Provincial Parkon the Canadian side of the border.[3]
For exploration and fur trade history, seeWinnipeg Riverand additional references below.[4][5]
Name
editThe earliest documentation of the lake's name is"Tekamamiwen"(shown in French transliterated as "Lac de Tecamamiouen" on the Ochagach map (c. 1728).[6]The name was represented in various spellings: as "Lac Tacamamioüer" on the 1739de l'Islemap, as "Lake Tecamaniouen" on the 1757Mitchell Map,and as "Lake Tekamamigovouen" on theThomas Jefferys1762 Map of Canada).Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendryesaid that the name was a corruption from theCree"tahki-mâna-kimiwan",meaning "It always is raining", referring to theRainy River.[7][8]He said that the lake was also known as"Ouichichick"(OjibwewordGojijiingorCreeKocicīhk,both meaning "at the place of inlets" ). Early documents lists the portion of Rainy Lake east of the Brule Narrows as "Cristinaux [Cree] Lake"[9]or as "Little Lake."[10]
Geology
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Geologically Rainy Lake is part of theSuperior Cratonof theCanadian Shieldand retains features associated with it, such as a large, ancientcalderaandfault linesthat can be clearly seen in satellite images of the lake.[11] The Rainy Lake - Seine River Fault zone is astrike-slip faultzone passing through Rainy Lake from Tilson Bay in the southwest to Seine Bay in the northeast.[12]
The Quetico Fault passes through Rainy Lake on an east–west path through McDonald Inlet.[13] The fault system forms a triangular wrench zone separating the granite-greenstone terrain of theWabigoon subprovinceto the north from the metasedimentary terrain of theQuetico subprovinceto the south.[14]
The rock under the lake and exposed on many of its islands is an exposed part of theNorth American cratoncomposed of ancientPrecambrianrock. This rock has been significantly affected byglaciation,which dominates much of the recent geologic history of the area.
Recreation
editVoyageurs National Park
editVoyageurs National Parkmaintains an extensive network of 46 boat-in camping sites on Rainy Lake, in addition to hiking trails and designated snowmobile trails for winter use.
Fishing
editThe lake is popular for sport and recreational fishing of species such aswalleye,northern pike,muskellunge,crappie,largemouthandsmallmouth bass,which are all considered excellent freshwatergame fish.Rainy Lake is home to the annual Canadian Bass Championship, which has been held every summer since 1996. The lake is dotted with many small islands on both the Canadian and American sides; numerous fishing cabins, small fishing resorts, and vacation homes have been built on these islands. Fishingtourismand guided fishing services comprise a significant sector of the local economy.
Winter activities
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Winter access to Rainy Lake by car is provided by anice roadmaintained by theNational Park Serviceof the United States. Popular winter sports includeice fishing,cross-country skiing,snowshoeing,andsnowmobiling.
Governance
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Applicable laws
editRainy Lake spans theCanada–United States border.The laws of Canada and the Province of Ontario apply to the portions of the lake on the Canadian side of the border; the laws of the US and the State of Minnesota apply to those portions on the US side of the border. The relevant law enforcement agencies of each country are responsible for the portions of the lake within their respective borders. The Canadian and US Coast Guards maintain navigational aids on their respective sides of the border. Boaters and fishermen must be aware of the requirements imposed by relevant jurisdictions while traveling or fishing on Rainy Lake (seeExternal links).
Border crossing
editVisitors to Canada must report to a Canada Customs office before going ashore in Canada. However, US and Canadian citizens and permanent residents traveling on the lake who wish to go ashore can apply for a CANPASS Remote Area Border Crossing (RABC) permit allowing them to enter into Canada without reporting to Canadian customs. Boaters entering US waters from Canada, and who are citizens or permanent residents of the US and Canada, can apply for the Canadian Border Boat Landing Program (I-68 Permit Program) which allows them to report to US Customs and Border Protection by telephone. With proper documentation, these permits can be obtained at the US and Canadian customs offices located near the International Bridge in International Falls and Fort Frances, respectively.
Water level management
editThe level of Rainy Lake is controlled at thehydro-electricpower housesof the international dam that spans the Rainy River between International Falls and Fort Frances, at two water-control dams located at Kettle Falls where the outflow from Namakan Lake enters Rainy Lake, and at the Sturgeon Falls Generating Station located on the Seine River. The companies that own and operate the powerhouses (Boise Paper on the US side and H2O Power Limited Partnership on the Canadian side) are responsible for maintaining lake level and flow changes from the dams within normal ranges, subject to regulatory oversight by the International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board (IRLWWB). The IRLWWB is a board of theInternational Joint Commission(IJC), which is a bi-national organization created out of theInternational Boundary Waters Treatyof 1909 for the purposes of handling boundary water issues between the United States and Canada.
In popular culture
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Rainy Lake (Rainy River) plays a pivotal role inTim O'Brien's novelThe Things They Carried.Other novels set on Rainy Lake include:
- Wilder's Edgeby Diane Bradley, published by North Star Press of St. Cloud, 2013.
- Wilder's Foeby Diane Bradley, published by North Star Press of St. Cloud, 2014.
- Frozenby Mary Casanova, published by University of Minnesota Press, 2012.
- When Eagles Fallby Mary Casanova, published by University of Minnesota Press, 2014.
Non-fictional works set on Rainy Lake include:
- Fawn Islandby Doug Woods, published by University of Minnesota Press, 2001.
See also
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References
edit- ^Rahm, Joe.Island Images: Rainy Lake’s missing islands.The Journal.14 Feb. 2010.
- ^Geographical Place Names of Voyageurs National Park(PDF),2008,retrieved2013-07-25
- ^"Rapid Watershed Assessment: Rainy Lake"(PDF).Natural Resources Conservation Service,United States Department of Agriculture.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2022-10-06.Retrieved2017-07-16.
- ^ Douglas A. Birk; Jeffrey J. Richner (2004),From Things Left Behind: Fur Trade Sites and Artifacts, Voyageurs National Park and Environs, 2001-2002,Midwest Archeological Center and Institute for Minnesota Archaeology, MAC Technical Report Number 84, IMA Reports of Investigation Number 606,retrieved2017-07-16
- ^Ted Catton; Marcia Montgomery,Special History: The Environment and the Fur Trade Experience in Voyageurs National Park, 1730-1870,retrieved2017-07-16
- ^"Ochagach map (c. 1728)".Retrieved2017-07-16.
- ^Gaultier de Varennes, Pierre (1905),The Canadian West,Montreal: Beauchemin, p. 35,retrieved2017-07-16
- ^The term in Cree for "it is raining" iskimiwan,but "always" iskâkikê-while "cold" istahki-.If the name was "It always rains cold", then in the Conjunct mode the name would bekâkikê tehki-kimiwahk.The Ojibwe equivalent would begaagige deki-gimiwang,which comes closest to the "Teki-kimiwen" reported by La Vérendrye.
- ^Gaultier de Varennes, Pierre (1905),The Canadian West,Montreal: Beauchemin, p. 33,retrieved2017-07-16
- ^Cary, John (1807),A new map of part of the United States of North America, exhibiting the Western Territory, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia &c., also the lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario & Erie; with Upper and Lower Canada &c. From the latest authorities.,London: J. Cary, Engraver & Map-seller
- ^Graham, J. (June 2007),Voyageurs National Park Geologic Resource Evaluation Report(PDF),Denver, Colorado:National Park Service,United States Department of the Interior,Natural Resource Report NPS/NRPC/GRD/NRR—2007/007, archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2010-05-28,retrieved2013-07-25
- ^Hemstad, C. B.; et al. (2000),M-105 Bedrock geology of the Island View quadrangle, Koochiching County, north-central Minnesota,retrieved2013-07-25
- ^Fumerton, S. L. (1982), "Redefinition of the Quetico Fault near Atikokan, Ontario",Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences,19(1): 222–224,Bibcode:1982CaJES..19..222F,doi:10.1139/e82-015
- ^Poulsen, K. Howard (1986), "Rainy Lake Wrench Zone: An Example of an Archean Subprovince Boundary in Northwestern Ontario",Workshop on Tectonic Evolution of Greenstone Belts:177,Bibcode:1986tegb.work..177P
- ^"Mysteries of mermaid revealed at art show",Fort Frances Times Online,retrieved2017-07-16
External links
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