Sydney River
title: "Sydney River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["landforms-of-the-cape-breton-regional-municipality", "rivers-of-nova-scotia", "landforms-of-cape-breton-county"] topic_path: "general/landforms-of-the-cape-breton-regional-municipality" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Sydney River |
| name_other | Spanish River |
| name_etymology | From the city of Sydney on its estuary. |
| image | Sydney_River_from_Coxheath_Hills.jpg |
| image_size | 300 |
| image_caption | Sydney River, with Coxheath in the foreground and Howie Centre on the opposite bank |
| subdivision_type1 | Country |
| subdivision_name1 | Canada |
| subdivision_type2 | Province |
| subdivision_name2 | Nova Scotia |
| subdivision_type3 | County |
| subdivision_name3 | Cape Breton |
| subdivision_type4 | District |
| subdivision_name4 | Cape Breton Regional Municipality |
| subdivision_type5 | City |
| subdivision_name5 | Sydney |
| length_km | 12.5 |
| source1 | Blacketts Lake |
| mouth | South Arm of Sydney Harbour |
| mouth_location | between the Westmount shore near Amelia Point and Battery Point on the Sydney shore |
| mouth_coordinates | |
| mouth_elevation | 0 m |
| basin_size_km2 | 140 |
| tributaries_left | Crawleys Creek, Barachois Creek |
| tributaries_right | Meadows Brook, Tobins Brook, Howies Brook, Gillis Brook, Prime Brook, Wentworth Creek, Muggah Creek |
| bridges | 125 Highway, Route 305 |
| ports | Port of Sydney |
| :: |
::callout[type=note] the river ::
| name = Sydney River | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = Spanish River | name_etymology = From the city of Sydney on its estuary. | image = Sydney_River_from_Coxheath_Hills.jpg | image_size = 300 | image_caption = Sydney River, with Coxheath in the foreground and Howie Centre on the opposite bank | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = Canada | subdivision_type2 = Province | subdivision_name2 = Nova Scotia | subdivision_type3 = County | subdivision_name3 = Cape Breton | subdivision_type4 = District | subdivision_name4 = Cape Breton Regional Municipality | subdivision_type5 = City | subdivision_name5 = Sydney | length_km = 12.5 | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = | discharge1_max = | source1 = Blacketts Lake | source1_location = | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = | mouth = South Arm of Sydney Harbour | mouth_location = between the Westmount shore near Amelia Point and Battery Point on the Sydney shore | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = 0 m | progression = | river_system = | basin_size_km2 = 140 | tributaries_left = Crawleys Creek, Barachois Creek | tributaries_right = Meadows Brook, Tobins Brook, Howies Brook, Gillis Brook, Prime Brook, Wentworth Creek, Muggah Creek | waterbodies = | waterfalls = | bridges = 125 Highway, Route 305 | ports = Port of Sydney | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra =
The Sydney River is a short river located in Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Historically, it was also referred to as the Spanish River{{cite speech |title = Coxheath, or A Century of Civilization |first = Edmund |last = Andrews |date = January 1899 |url = http://heroictenor.com/vbsgenes/np4.htm |access-date = July 15, 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150922235804/http://heroictenor.com/vbsgenes/np4.htm# |archive-date = 2015-09-22 |url-status = dead |df = | url = http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/NS-CAPE-BRETON/2008-08/1217770005 | title = Baie-des-Espagnois | last = McKenzie | first = Charlene | date = August 3, 2008 | publisher = ancestry.com | accessdate = July 16, 2012
Sydney River rises in Blacketts Lake and runs 12.5 km to its mouth, between the Westmount shore near Amelia Point and Battery Point on the Sydney shore, at the South Arm of Sydney Harbour, draining a watershed of 140 km {{Citation | author = Fisheries and Oceans Canada | contribution = Management Plan for the Yellow Lampmussel (Lampsilis cariosa) in Canada [Final] | year = 2010 | title = Species at Risk Act Management Plan Series | publisher = Fisheries and Oceans Canada | publication-place = Ottawa | url = https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/eccc/migration/sara/virtual_sara/files/plans/mp_yellow_lampmussel_0410_e.pdf
The Sydney River valley is glacial with thick deposits, kames, eskers and outwash gravels creating a series of shallow lakes connected by narrow channels. This low valley was a traditional canoe portage used by the Mi'kmaq for travelling between Sydney Harbour and the East Bay of Bras d'Or Lake. The river is one of only two Canadian watersheds with a known population of the yellow lampmussel.{{cite web | url = http://www.acapcb.ns.ca/Watershed/lampmussel.htm | title = Warning: Species at Risk! Yellow Lampmussel | author = ACAP Cape Breton | accessdate = July 15, 2012
References
References
- "Sydney River". Natural Resources Canada.
- "Sydney River (sub-Unit 585b) - ''The Natural History of Nova Scotia'' - theme regions".
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