Malbaie River

Last updated

Malbaie River
Rivière Malbaie (in French)
Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Riviere-Malbaie.jpg
Location
Country Canada
Province Quebec
Region Capitale-Nationale
Physical characteristics
SourcePetit lac Tristan
  location Lac-Jacques-Cartier (unorganized territory), Capitale-Nationale, Quebec, Canada
  coordinates 47°28′38″N70°08′50″W / 47.47713°N 70.14722°W / 47.47713; -70.14722
  elevation893 m (2,930 ft)
Mouth Saint Lawrence Estuary
  location
La Malbaie, Capitale-Nationale, Quebec, Canada
  coordinates
47°39′18″N70°08′50″W / 47.65500°N 70.14722°W / 47.65500; -70.14722
  elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length161 km (100 mi) [1]
Basin size2,059 km2 (795 sq mi) [2]
Basin features
Tributaries 
  left(upstream)
  • Côte du Pontage Creek, Bouliane Waterway,
  • Comporté River, Dufour Creek,
  • Villeneuve Creek, Desbiens Creek,
  • Jacob River, Snigole River,
  • Lac des Hay, Castors Creek,
  • American Creek, Pont Creek,
  • Scott Creek, Flat Lake Discharge,
  • ruisseau à John (Malbaie River), Amie Lake Discharge,
  • Cran Rouge Creek, Crouch River],
  • Brooks Creek Cows,
  • discharge of Lac Du Lac and Bigras Lake,
  • Chemin des Canots River,
  • dump of Joinville Lake, dump of Lac Pigeon,
  • du Lac du Fond dump, L'Enfer River,
  • dump Lake Saturday,
  • lake discharge (Sunday to Friday),
  • Jack Creek, Silenus Pond outlet,
  • Lac Carrot outlet, Lac Lamfort outlet.
  right(upstream)
Malbaie River in Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Riviere-Malbaie National Park Malbaie River in Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Riviere-Malbaie National Park, Quebec, Canada.jpg
Malbaie River in Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park

The Malbaie River in the Charlevoix region empties into the Saint Lawrence River at La Malbaie. Until 1985 the river was used to transport logs downstream. It flows through a steep valley known as Les Hautes Gorges. A sugar maple and American elm forest grows in the gorge and has remained largely undisturbed for hundreds of years.

Contents

Its course successively crosses Grands-Jardins National Park, Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, Zec des Martres, Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park and Zec du Lac-au-Sable. It winds first towards the north-east, towards the east, then towards the south-east, in a narrow and deep glacial valley, for 161 kilometers and a drop of 820 meters.

Its course forms a semicircle stretching towards the north and completely encircling in its center the hydrographic slope of the Rivière du Gouffre. For example, there is a distance of 17.1 kilometres (10.6 mi) between the mouth of the rivières des Martres and the mouth of a stream flowing on the east bank of the upper part of the Malbaie River; at the height of this imaginary line, the course of the Malbaie river stretches north to 10.9 kilometres (6.8 mi). While there is a distance of 48.9 kilometres (30.4 mi) between the mouth of the Malbaie river and the mouth of the Petite rivière Malbaie which flows onto the east bank of the upper part the Malbaie River; at the height of this imaginary line, the course of the Malbaie river stretches north to 32.9 kilometres (20.4 mi). [3] Its watershed and that of the rivière du Gouffre form the Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve.

Le Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park is home to Eastern Canada's tallest rock-faced cliffs. Designated a national park (of the province of Québec) in 2000, the 233-km2 Hautes-Gorges is the centrepiece of the UNESCO Charlevoix biosphere reserve.

Geography

Course of Malbaie River at the height of the city of Clermont, downstream from the municipal park. Riviere Malbaie a Clairmont le 2018-07-20, en aval du parc municipal.jpg
Course of Malbaie River at the height of the city of Clermont, downstream from the municipal park.
Bay at low tide at the mouth of the Malbaie River, in La Malbaie. This bay also receives the waters of the Mailloux River (west shore) and of the Cote a Pontage Creek (east side).. Baie de La Malbaie a maree basse-2018-07-19.jpg
Bay at low tide at the mouth of the Malbaie River, in La Malbaie. This bay also receives the waters of the Mailloux River (west shore) and of the Côte à Pontage Creek (east side)..

"Little Tristan Lake" is the "head lake" of the Malbaie River hydrographic slope. It is located in a swampy area in a small valley of mountains. It discharges to the north where water flows 1.0 kilometre (0.62 mi) through swamps to Tristan Lake (1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) long) that flows through its full length from south to north. The landfill continues for 3.0 kilometres (1.9 mi) north to Gamache Lake (0.86 km), which crosses the stream from south to north for 0.6 kilometres (0.37 mi). This last lake has a large central island.

From Gamache Lake, the waters flow north for 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) to the outlet of Lamfort Lake. From there, the Malbaie River descends for 5.7 kilometres (3.5 mi) to Fradette Lake (2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi), oriented to the northeast), which flows through to its full length. Lake Frenette receives by the north-west the waters of lakes Carroll, Milton and Brunette. From the mouth of Fradette Lake, the river flows 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) northeast to Lake Malbaie. The current of the Malbaie River crosses this lake from south to north for 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi).

The Malbaie Lake outlet is located to the north.

Upper course of the Malbaie River downstream of Malbaie Lake (segment of 53.6 kilometres (33.3 mi))

Intermediate course of the Malbaie river downstream of the Cruche River (segment of 45.1 kilometres (28.0 mi))

Lower course of the Malbaie river downstream of the Martres river (segment of 22.9 kilometres (14.2 mi))

Lower course of the Malbaie river downstream from the ruisseau des Americans (segment of 30.9 kilometres (19.2 mi))

The Malbaie River flows into downtown La Malbaie on the northwest shore of the St. Lawrence River.

Toponymy

In 1608, Samuel de Champlain named this stream "Rivière Platte" or "Malle Baye". After the English conquest, the seigneuries of Mount Murray and Murray Bay, so that the English have long named this river Murray River. With time, the Malbaie river finally prevails. [1]

Champlain calls the bay "Malbaie" in the sense of bad because at low tide the latter dries up and the boats run aground. As for "Murray", he owes his name to James Murray, first governor of province of Quebec, which conceded two seigneuries at the mouth of the river. [5]

See also

Map all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 "Rivière Malbaie". Banque de noms de lieux du Québec. Commission de toponymie Québec. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  2. Perron, Normand; Gauthier, Serge (2000). Histoire de Charlevoix. Institut québécois de recherche sur la culture. ISBN   2-89224-304-1.
  3. "En Bref: Rivière Malbaie". Saumonquebec.com (in French). Federation of Quebec salmon river managers (FGRSQ). Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  4. Atlas of Canada - Department of Natural Resources Canada - Rivière Malbaie - Distance and altitude measurements based on application of site measures.
  5. "La Malbaie". Banque de noms de lieux du Québec. Commission de toponymie Québec. Retrieved September 4, 2011.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ha! Ha! River (Saguenay River tributary)</span> Tributary of Saguenay, Quebec (Canada)

The Ha! Ha! River is a watercourse in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec, Canada.

The rivière à la Cruche is a tributary of the Malbaie River, flowing into the Lac-Pikauba unorganized territory, into the Regional County Municipality (MRC) of Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the Capitale-Nationale administrative region, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. Most of the "rivière à la Cruche" flows to the eastern end of the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve except for the lower part of its course.

The Chemin des Canots River is a tributary of the Malbaie River, flowing into the unorganized territory of Lac-Pikauba in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the Capitale-Nationale administrative region, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. The Chemin des Canots River crosses the eastern part of the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve; it flows into a river bend on the southwestern bank of the Malbaie River facing the zec des Martres.

The Porc-Épic River is a tributary of the Malbaie River, flowing into the unorganized territory of Lac-Pikauba, in Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the Capitale-Nationale administrative region, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. Most of the Porc-Épic River flows into the territory of the Zec des Martres, except for the last 1.6 km (0.99 mi) before reaching its mouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rivière du Gouffre</span> River in Charlevoix (Québec, Canada)

The rivière du Gouffre is a tributary of the left bank of the Saint-Laurent river, flowing into the Capitale-Nationale administrative region, Quebec (Canada). This watercourse flows through Regional County Municipality from:

The Cami river is a tributary of the Saint-Jean River, flowing in the municipality of Lalemant, Hébertville-Station and Rivière-Éternité, in the Fjord-du-Saguenay, in the administrative region of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. The course of the Cami river crosses the zec du Lac-au-Sable.

The Rivière des Neiges is a tributary of the east bank of the Montmorency River. It flows in the unorganized territory of Lac-Jacques-Cartier, in La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in province from Quebec, to Canada.

The Rivière Noire is a tributary of the east bank of the Montmorency River. It flows in the unorganized territory of Lac-Jacques-Cartier, in the La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada.

The Savane River is a tributary of the east bank of the rivière des Neiges, flowing in the unorganized territory of Lac-Jacques-Cartier, in the La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada.

The Jean-Noël River is a tributary of the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. This river flows through the regional county municipalities (MRC) of:

The Petite rivière Malbaie is a tributary of the east bank of the Malbaie River, flowing in the unorganized territory of Lac-Pikauba, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. This watercourse crosses zec des Martres and Grands-Jardins National Park.

The Petit lac Malbaie is a freshwater body of the unorganized territory of Lac-Pikauba, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. This lake, which is located in a forest and mountainous area, is part of the zec des Martres, that is to the northeast of Grands-Jardins National Park.

The Rivière de l'Enfer is a tributary of the eastern bank of the Malbaie River, flowing in the unorganized territory of Lac-Pikauba, in the regional county municipality (MRC) of Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. This watercourse crosses the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve and Grands-Jardins National Park.

The Barley River is a tributary of the eastern bank of the upper part of the Malbaie River, flowing in the unorganized territory of Lac-Pikauba, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. This watercourse successively crosses zec des Martres, then the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve.

The rivière des Martres is a tributary of the west bank of the intermediate part of the Malbaie River, flowing in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province from Quebec, in Canada. This watercourse crosses the regional county municipalities of:

The Rivière des Îlets is a tributary of the southern bank of the upper part of the Rivière du Gouffre, flowing in the unorganized territory of Lac-Pikauba, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada.

The Rivière du Gouffre Sud-Ouest is a tributary of the eastern bank of the intermediate part of the Rivière du Gouffre, flowing in the unorganized territory of Lac-Pikauba and the municipality of Saint-Urbain, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of the Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada.

The Chicago River is a tributary of the east bank of the middle part of the Rivière du Gouffre, flowing in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province from Quebec, to Canada. The course of this river flows through the regional county municipalities (MRCs) of:

Le Gros Bras is a tributary of the eastern bank of the lower part of the rivière du Gouffre, flowing in the unorganized territory of Lac-Pikauba and the municipality of Saint-Urbain, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. The upper part of this watercourse begins in Grands-Jardins National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bras du Nord-Ouest</span> River in Quebec, Canada

The Bras du Nord-Ouest is a tributary of the west bank of the lower part of the rivière du Gouffre, flowing entirely in the city of Baie-Saint-Paul, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada.