Nelson River

The Nelson River, one of Canada's longest waterways, originates in Lake Winnipeg in the province of Manitoba and flows for approximately 2,575 kilometers, including the Saskatchewan River system, until it empties into Hudson Bay at Port Nelson. It traverses a diverse landscape of boreal forest, wetlands, and tundra, providing habitat for numerous species of fish, birds, and mammals, including beavers and moose. The river plays a central role in hydroelectric power production, particularly through the Nelson River Hydroelectric Project with large-scale generating stations such as the Limestone Generating Station. Historically, the Nelson River has been important to Indigenous peoples, as well as to the fur trade and European exploration. Ecologically and economically, it is a backbone of Manitoba and Canada.