ATHABASCA (Athapescow), or

See also:

• ELK

ELK  , a river and lake of the' province of Alberta, Canada . The river rises in the Rocky Mountains near the Yellowhead Pass in 52° Io' N. and tr7° to' W., and flows north-east as far as Athabasca Landing, and thence north into Lake Athabasca . It is 740 M. long and has a number of important tributaries; including the McLeod, Pembina, Lesser ' This is by some authorities divided into two . Slave, which drains the lake of that name, and Clearwater . Athabasca lake is 295 M. long, west to east, from 20 to 32 M. wide, has an area of 3085 sq. m., and is 690 ft. above the sea . It discharges its waters northward by Slave river and the Mackenzie system to the Arctic Ocean . On its north shore the country is high and rocky; on the south, sandy and barren . Shallow-draught steamers navigate the lake and river, and Lesser Slave lake and river, with one interruption—at Grand Rapids near the mouth of the Clearwater river .