Canadian Hydrographic Service River Charts

Introduction

Canadian Hydrographic Service river charts provide authoritative hydrographic documentation for navigation on Canada’s inland waterways. They cover important areas of the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, major inland waterways, and selected river and waterway systems in western and northern Canada. The Canadian Hydrographic Service, or CHS, produces official nautical charts designed to support safe navigation on Canadian waters, with a catalogue comprising more than 2,000 nautical charts.

A Canadian river chart is more than a geographical representation of a river. It provides structured hydrographic information that can be used to identify depths, navigable channels, hazards, aids to navigation, port facilities, structures, regulated areas and other information required for route planning and navigation.

For professional mariners, recreational boaters, delivery crews, maritime schools and users of Canadian nautical documentation, CHS charts provide an essential basis for planning routes while taking into account the specific characteristics of Canadian inland waters.

What is a Canadian Hydrographic Service river chart?

The Canadian Hydrographic Service is the national hydrographic authority responsible for surveying, processing and representing the characteristics of Canadian waters. Its activities cover oceans, coastal waters, lakes and rivers.

Within inland navigation, CHS charts cover a wide range of environments: tidal rivers, commercial waterways, inland rivers, harbour approaches, interconnected lakes and navigation routes subject to specific depth, clearance or operating constraints.

Canadian charting includes official paper charts as well as digital products, including Raster Navigational Charts, or RNCs, in BSB format and Electronic Navigational Charts, or ENCs, in S-57 format.

The appropriate chart therefore depends on the navigation area, vessel type, intended route and applicable regulations.

Main inland navigation areas covered

Canada has an exceptionally large hydrographic network. CHS river and inland-waterway charts are particularly relevant to:

• the St. Lawrence River and its navigable sections;

• the Great Lakes and their connecting waterways;

• the Ottawa River and Rideau Canal;

• inland waterways in Ontario and Manitoba;

• the Fraser River in British Columbia;

• the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories;

• selected northern and Arctic waterways;

• channels connecting lakes, rivers and commercial ports;

• fluvial and maritime transition areas where inland navigation connects with coastal waters.

This geographical diversity explains why Canadian river charts can differ significantly from one region to another.

St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes

The St. Lawrence River is one of Canada's principal navigation routes. It connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean and forms a major route for commercial and maritime transportation.

CHS charts are particularly relevant around Montréal, Trois-Rivières, Québec and the various navigation sectors of the St. Lawrence system.

The Great Lakes form another major hydrographic region: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, together with their connecting waterways and adjacent navigation areas.

In these regions, a nautical chart must provide more than a general geographical overview. It must allow navigators to understand channel configuration, available depths, hazards, structures and approaches to ports and terminals.

Fraser River and navigation in British Columbia

The Fraser River is another important example of Canadian river charting. It crosses a highly developed industrial region and reaches the port facilities of Vancouver and the surrounding areas of British Columbia.

The CHS publishes detailed charts covering different sections of the Fraser River. Some are produced at relatively large scales, appropriate for navigation in areas where accurate knowledge of channel position and depths is particularly important.

Navigation around Vancouver, Richmond, Delta and the region's port facilities may require a combination of river charts, coastal charts and complementary nautical publications.

Mackenzie River and northern waterways

Canada also has a substantial northern navigation network. The Mackenzie River is one of its most significant examples.

CHS charts for the Mackenzie River cover different kilometre sections of the river, with scales adapted to the characteristics of the areas represented.

Navigation in these regions can involve specific operational considerations: remoteness, changing water levels, weather conditions, ice, limited infrastructure and long distances between services and ports.

An appropriate river chart is therefore an important component of route preparation on these waterways.

Information shown on Canadian river charts

Depending on the area and scale, a CHS chart can provide a wide range of hydrographic and navigational information:

• soundings and depths;

• bathymetric information;

• navigable channels;

• shoals and hazards;

• buoys and navigation marks;

• lights and other aids to navigation;

• leading marks and conspicuous landmarks;

• wharves, terminals and port facilities;

• bridges and other structures;

• shorelines and geographical features;

• specific areas and restrictions;

• chart interpretation information;

• scale and reference information.

The density of information depends directly on the chart scale. A chart intended for a harbour approach or a narrow navigational channel will generally contain considerably more detail than a small-scale chart used for an overall route-planning view.

Understanding chart scale

Scale is fundamental when selecting a river chart.

A 1:20,000 chart provides considerably more detail than a 1:50,000 chart. This difference is particularly significant on rivers, where the navigable channel can be relatively narrow and where changes in depth or the location of hazards may directly affect navigation.

CHS uses different scales according to the area being charted. Detailed Fraser River charts, for example, include scales around 1:20,000, while certain Mackenzie River sections are represented at smaller scales.

The correct chart should therefore be selected according to the actual route and navigation requirements rather than simply by searching for the name of a river.

Paper and digital charts

The Canadian Hydrographic Service provides charts in different formats.

Paper charts remain useful for route planning, training, general reference and traditional chartwork. They provide a large-scale visual overview and can be used with traditional navigation instruments such as dividers, parallel rulers and protractors.

Digital charts include:

• Raster Navigational Charts, or RNCs;

• Electronic Navigational Charts, or ENCs;

• digital chart data intended for compatible electronic navigation systems.

A vector chart allows an electronic navigation system to manage individual chart objects as structured data. A raster chart is a digital graphical representation of the chart.

This distinction is particularly important for professional users operating ECDIS or other electronic navigation systems.

Updating Canadian nautical charts

A nautical chart is not simply a geographical document. For navigation, it must be kept up to date.

The CHS provides information allowing mariners to monitor chart changes, including Notices to Mariners, commonly referred to as NOTMAR. Navigators should check the applicable corrections and ensure that new editions are used when they replace previous editions.

A new edition can incorporate changes that are essential to navigation. A reprint of a current edition, by contrast, may incorporate previously published corrections without constituting a new edition.

Understanding this distinction is important when assessing the operational status of a chart.

Complementarity with other hydrographic authorities

International or cross-border navigation may require the use of charts from several hydrographic authorities.

Depending on the voyage, mariners may encounter products from the Shom, Admiralty, NGA or NOAA. Canadian waters adjacent to the United States may also require coordination with U.S. nautical chart coverage, particularly on the Great Lakes.

Canadian Hydrographic Service charts should therefore be considered as part of a broader hydrographic documentation system when a voyage crosses different national charting jurisdictions.

Professional and training applications

CHS river charts are relevant to many users, including:

• merchant shipping;

• inland and lake transportation;

• pilots and port professionals;

• government and hydrographic agencies;

• maritime schools and training centres;

• delivery crews;

• experienced recreational boaters;

• Great Lakes navigators;

• workboat operators;

• professional users navigating the St. Lawrence River;

• ECDIS and electronic-navigation users.

They are also valuable training documents for learning how to interpret nautical charts, plan routes, identify hazards and understand hydrographic symbols and conventions.

Planning navigation on Canadian inland waters

Effective voyage planning requires more than selecting a chart that includes the departure and destination points. The complete route must be assessed.

For a voyage on the St. Lawrence River, for example, several charts may be required depending on the route between Québec, Trois-Rivières and Montréal. Great Lakes voyages may likewise require several chart sheets.

Route planning should consider:

• vessel draught;

• available depths;

• water-level variations;

• currents;

• navigation restrictions;

• bridges and other structures;

• port areas;

• aids to navigation;

• weather conditions;

• ice conditions where applicable;

• information published by the relevant authorities.

The nautical chart is therefore one component of a broader navigation documentation package that may also include sailing directions, tide and current information, Notices to Mariners and maritime safety information.

Conclusion

Canadian Hydrographic Service river charts provide authoritative cartographic coverage for the exceptionally diverse inland waterways of Canada. From the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes to the Fraser River and the Mackenzie River, they represent very different navigation environments using scales and levels of detail appropriate to the areas concerned.

For professional and recreational navigation, their effective use requires an understanding of scale, symbols, depths, navigation marks and chart corrections. They also form part of a wider international hydrographic documentation system that may include Shom, Admiralty, NGA or NOAA products depending on the voyage.

A Canadian Hydrographic Service river chart is therefore an essential cartographic tool for understanding, planning and supporting safe navigation on Canada's inland waterways.

FAQ

What is a Canadian Hydrographic Service river chart?

It is an official nautical chart designed to represent hydrographic and navigational features of Canadian waterways, including selected rivers, the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.

Does the Canadian Hydrographic Service chart only Canada's coastal waters?

No. The CHS also charts lakes, rivers and other inland waterways, in addition to coastal and ocean waters.

Are there CHS charts for the St. Lawrence River?

Yes. The CHS provides extensive chart coverage of the St. Lawrence River and related areas of the Great Lakes and Canadian waterways.

Are there charts for the Fraser River?

Yes. Several CHS charts cover different sections of the Fraser River, including areas around British Columbia and the Vancouver region.

Are there charts for the Mackenzie River?

Yes. CHS charts cover different sections of the Mackenzie River, with scales adapted to the areas represented.

What is the difference between a CHS paper chart and a digital chart?

A paper chart is a printed representation used for traditional navigation and route planning. Digital charts may be raster or vector products designed for compatible electronic navigation systems.

Do CHS charts need to be updated?

Yes. For navigation, mariners must take account of chart corrections, Notices to Mariners and new editions applicable to the area.

What is the difference between an RNC and an ENC?

An RNC is a digital raster representation of a chart, while an ENC is a vector chart made of structured digital chart data that can be used by compatible electronic navigation systems.

Can CHS charts be used alongside Admiralty, Shom or NGA charts?

Yes. Depending on the voyage, different hydrographic authorities may provide complementary coverage when a route crosses several geographical areas or national jurisdictions.

Why is scale important when selecting a river chart?

Scale determines the level of detail represented. A larger-scale chart generally allows more precise analysis of channels, depths, hazards and navigation facilities within a restricted area.