North Canadian River

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The North Canadian River near Yukon, Oklahoma

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The North Canadian River near Shawnee, Oklahoma

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The Oklahoma River from a kayak in the center of the recreational rowing area - Chesapeake Boathouse and downtown skyline in background Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The North Canadian River is a tributary of the Canadian River, approximately 441 miles (710 km) long, that flows through New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma in the United States.

The North Canadian River rises just east of Des Moines, New Mexico in Union County, New Mexico, where it is known as Corrumpa Creek. From there it flows eastwardly through the Oklahoma Panhandle starting in Cimarron County, where it is also known for some distance as the Beaver River. It flows briefly into Sherman County in the Texas Panhandle for about 15 miles (24 km), then back to the Oklahoma Panhandle in Texas County, where it has a confluence with Coldwater Creek just above the dam at the Optima Lake project near Hardesty. Because the source of the river in this area is the Ogallala Aquifer, and because of increasing irrigation and other demands on said aquifer, the flow of the river in the Panhandle is light and intermittent, and the Optima Lake impoundment contains very little water. Below the dam, the river continues through the Oklahoma counties of Beaver and Harper before being joined in Woodward County by Wolf Creek just south of the town of Fort Supply, Oklahoma. It is dammed at Canton, Oklahoma in Blaine County where it forms Canton Lake. It flows past Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, joining the Canadian River in McIntosh County at Eufaula Lake.

Oklahoma River

A seven-mile portion of the river flowing through Oklahoma City was renamed the Oklahoma River in 2004. This portion has several locks that have created a series of small lakes in which rowing, kayaking, and canoeing regattas take place (hosted by the Oklahoma City Boathouse Foundation, Chesapeake Boat House, and Oklahoma City University). Regatta activities include: 2.5 mile head races, 2000 meter sprints, and 500 meter sprints. It is the only location in the US conducting officially-sanctioned night sprints under lights.

The Oklahoma River was profiled in The New York Times on April 22, 2008.

See also

• List of rivers of New Mexico
• List of rivers of Oklahoma
• List of rivers of Texas

External links

• Oklahoma River Bike Trails
• Grand Blvd Bike Trail Starting at the Oklahoma River
• Oklahoma River
• Chesapeake Boat House
• Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
• U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: North Canadian River