1921-22 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 65 



Appendix No. 21. 



Survey of Missinaibi River, Districts of Algoma and Timiskaming. 



Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., January 16th, 1922. 



Sir, — Under instructions from you dated April 22nd, 1921, to survey the 

 Missinaibi River from the north boundary of the Township of Sankey to the 

 Mattagami River, and to complete the survey of Opazatika River from the north 

 boundary of the Township of Idington to its mouth, I commenced organizing 

 for this survey May 13th, 1921, leaving Sault Ste. Marie with my outfit and 

 four men and arriving at Mattice on May 18th. At this point I overhauled 

 supplies and outfit, and proceeded down Missinaibi River on the twentieth, 

 arriving below point of commencement the following day. 



The problem of transportation on this portion of Missinaibi River is one 

 of extreme difficulty, particularly at low water. From north boundary to 

 Township of Sankey the river can be run all the way to Conquering Rapids by 

 experienced canoemen using poles almost constantly as flow is rapid and boulders 

 frequent. 



Between head of Conquering Rapids and foot of the Long Rapids a distance 

 of four and a half miles, is sixty per cent, portage. The old portages were re- 

 cut out by my party as this was absolutely necessary. The approaches to the 

 portages are hazardous and require careful use of pole and paddle. 



At the north side of the Township of Sankey the river is divided into two 

 channels by Skunk Island reuniting thirty chains north of the line. The eleva- 

 tion of surface of river here is 645 feet. Half a mile north of Township of 

 Sankey, Isabell and Alice Islands commence. The river here from Skunk 

 Island to Isabell Island is almost ten chains wide with easy flow. On either 

 side of Alice Island the river runs through clay country, but the shores are 

 marked by stones and occasional large boulders. From the north boundary 

 of Sankey for about fourteen and one-half miles the river flows moderately 

 swift, and with easy curves to the head of Conquering Rapids. Surface at head 

 of rapids is 620 feet and at foot 609 feet with a length of about thirty chains. 

 At the head of the rapids are four rocky islands, and rock is plainly visible on 

 the shore. 



Thunder House Falls is one-half mile below Conquering Rapids, and is 

 comprised of three separate falls within twenty chains, elevations at head of 

 first fall 604 feet, and elevation at foot of third fall being 565 feet. Below this 

 is a gorge three to four chains wide falling four feet in a length of twenty chains. 

 At the head of first fall is a solid rock island which seems a favourable dam 

 site. I consider that a dam twenty feet high, elevation of crest 624 feet, would 

 be 700 feet long, of which 300 feet would be of moderate height, and would 

 drown out Conquering Rapids. The difficulty here is the existence of Coal 

 River running eastward from near foot of Conquering Rapids to a point about 

 ten miles farther down the Missinaibi River, being a sort of high water by-pass 

 or channel; whether this could be easily blocked or regulated I cannot say. 

 Photographs accompanying this report will indicate clearly the nature of possible 

 dam site. 



One mile and three-quarters below lower end of Thunder House Gorge is 

 the head of Stone Rapids which consists of a series of rapids, chutes and falls 

 with a total drop of thirty-one feet within a distance of thirty chains. The 

 sides of the valley of Stone Rapids are clay banks perhaps seventy-five feet 

 high. There was apparently no chance of favourable power development near 



S L.F. 



