Hood River (Nunavut)

The two-stage Wilberforce Falls of the Hood River are about 50 meters, the highest waterfalls of Nunavut (for comparison: Niagara Falls about 58 meters).

It has its origin in the Canadian tundra in Tahikafaaluk Lake, near the border with the Northwest Territories and a few kilometers east of Lake Napaktulik. From there it flows in an easterly, then in a northerly direction to the Arctic Ocean. He finally ends 80 km north- west of the settlement of Bathurst Inlet in the Arctic Sound, a small bay west of the bay Bathurst Inlet. The river is located above the Arctic Circle and north of the tree line.

Arctic char are very common in the river and reach lengths of up to one meter. The upper lakes along the river of the Hood River can be up into July, still frozen. The banks are the habitat of grizzly bear, wolf, wolverine and muskox.

In the short arctic summers of Hood River is navigable by kayakers. The barren-ground caribou migrate at this time through this region. Muschusochsen and wolves are often found here.

There are numerous rapids, waterfalls and glaciers along the Hood River.

The Wilberforce Gorge is a steep and deep canyon that runs over a distance of 3 km and reaches depths of up to 76 m. The Wilberforce Falls, above the gorge, the highest waterfalls are north of the Arctic Circle. The total height of 49 m is divided into two roughly equal successive stages.

Important tributaries of the Hood River are the Booth River from the right, and the James River from the left.

During the first overland expedition of Sir John Franklin, the so-called Coppermine Expedition of the years 1819-1822, which had the aim to discover the Northwest Passage, he met this river after he first the Coppermine River downstream traveled and subsequently along the Arctic coast to the east turned to the Turnagain Point.

The river owes its name to the midshipman Robert Hood, who may have been murdered on the way back this expedition to Fort Enterprise.