-Vayra- t1_j13a0in wrote
Reply to comment by Obiwan_Salami in When this bridge in Fort Benton, Montana, USA was built 1888 it was required to have a swing span to allow steamboats to navigate. It was considered the furthest navigable point on Earth, more than 2,700 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. by triviafrenzy
Those rivers in Canada are all closer to the sea (Atlantic, Pacific, Hudson Bay or the Beaufort Sea) than Ft Benton is to where it reaches the sea (the Gulf).
Obiwan_Salami t1_j13btly wrote
from what i can tell its possible to get to lake nipigon via the illinois river and great lakes. almost the entire lake is more northerly than fort benton. only question i see is that there is a dam and Cameron falls on the way up to nipigon but it looks from satellite like the falls are man made.
otherwise, seems pretty navigable all the way from illinois river. currently accessible through navy pier to des plaines river to illinois river, or further south at little calumet to illinois river.
The_Feeding_End t1_j13loo7 wrote
It's not about how far north it is its about how far inland it is. How far is it from the great Lakes to an ocean? Now how far is Montana? The Missouri River is the longest in North America on its own before reaching the Mississippi. We are talking about going from the Gulf nearly to Canada.
Obiwan_Salami t1_j13mhji wrote
north end of lake nipigon is further from gulf than benton. i think we need to compare apples to apples. thats what i was trying to say.
Lamb_or_Beast t1_j13oymb wrote
You seem confused though, lake nipigon is not further from where it drains (out the st Lawrence into North Atlantic); that lake does not drain out the gulf so saying it’s further from the gulf is like comparing apples to bananas. Also, from that point you cannot navigate through natural waterways out to the ocean anyway, you need to use canals to get past Niagara Falls (and possible a few other points? Unsure about that). So no matter what it is not as far…not even close actually.
The_Feeding_End t1_j13n4kh wrote
How far is it from the Atlantic? It's roughly 600km as the crow flies. That's not apples to apples.
Chicago1871 t1_j14ju7l wrote
Have you heard of Hudson Bay? How far is it from hudson bay?
It looks pretty close the map. So its not too far inland.
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