Mackenzie River east into the Churchill River. The eastern portion of the Mackenzie basin is dominated by vast reaches of lake-studded boreal forest and includes many of the largest lakes in North America. By both volume and surface area, Great Bear Lake is the biggest in the watershed and third largest on the continent, with a surface area of and a volume of . Great Slave Lake is slightly smaller, with an area of and containing of water, although it is significantly deeper than Great Bear. The third major lake, Athabasca, is less than a third that size with an area of
Mackenzie River (Queensland) and splits as an anabranch on multiple occasions. The river is joined by twenty-four tributaries including the Isaac and Connors rivers and Funnel Creek. Northeast of Duaringa, the Mackenzie is joined by the Dawson River and together they form the Fitzroy River. From source to mouth, the Mackenzie River descends over its course. The Bingegang Weir near Middlemount contains barramundi, southern saratoga and golden perch. The Bedford Weir and Tartrus Weir are also stocked with barramundi. Bedford Weir is popular with water-skiers and camping is permitted adjacent to the reservoir. The river was discovered by colonial Europeans in 1844 by