Mackenzie River great depths to bedrock. A characteristic feature of the delta is its numerous pingos, or hills of earth-covered-ice – some 1,400 of them. The Peel River, carrying much of the runoff from the northern Yukon, joins in the delta at a point northeast of Fort McPherson. Below there, the Mackenzie diverges into several large channels with the largest heading north-northeast, emptying into the Beaufort Sea west of Tuktoyaktuk. At , the Mackenzie River drainage basin encompasses nearly 20 percent of Canada. About , or 54 percent of the basin, lies above Great Slave Lake. Permafrost underlies about three-quarters of the
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