The Beaver Brown Waters of Rupert Bay 

4 min read

Dissolved organic matter and suspended sediment mingle in the southernmost extent of James Bay.

NASA Earth Observatory

• Landsat 9 — OLI

• Surface Water

The Cree word pahtaaunaakun seems particularly apt for describing the distinctive brown hues of the waters that drain into Hannah Bay and Rupert Bay in Canada. Meaning the "color of singed beaver" in Southern East Cree, the word evokes the rich brown of the humic-substance-stained waters that were flowing into the two bays in late September 2026, as well as the role that beavers have long played in the mythology and history of the region.

As the rivers and streams that flow into the two bays—the southernmost extensions of James Bay—wind through the boreal forests and boggy wetlands of northern Quebec and Ontario, they often carry water stained brown by colored dissolved organic matter(CDOM), which absorbs light in the blue and ultraviolet parts of the