Eastmain River facts for kids

The Eastmain River is a big river in central Quebec, Canada. It starts in the middle of Quebec and flows about 800 kilometers (500 miles) west. It empties into James Bay. The river drains a large area of land, about 46,400 square kilometers (17,900 square miles). The First Nations Cree village of Eastmain is located right at the mouth of the river where it meets James Bay.

Quick facts for kids Eastmain
Eastmain River in Dec. 2005 at the James Bay Road.
Eastmain River original basin in yellow and orange. Diverted basin in orange.
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Jamésie
Physical characteristics
Main source	Lac Bréhat Baie-James, Nord-du-Québec, Québec, Canada 554 m (1,818 ft) 52°31′30″N 70°52′00″W / 52.52500°N 70.86667°W / 52.52500; -70.86667
River mouth	James Bay Eastmain, Nord-du-Québec, Quebec, Canada 0 m (0 ft) 52°14′30″N 78°34′00″W / 52.24167°N 78.56667°W / 52.24167; -78.56667
Length	756 km (470 mi)
Basin features
Basin size	46,400 km2 (17,900 sq mi)
Tributaries	Left: (upstream) Eau Froide River, Miskimatao River, outlet of lake Sipestikuch, Causabiscau River, Wabistane River, Upstream from Opinaca Reservoir: Acotago River, outlet of lake Kapeykuck Ministiru, Nicolas River, Déry River, Caché Creek, outlet of "Lac de la Marée", Tichégami River, outlet of lakes Chamic and Mistamiquechamic, outlet of lake Clauzel, outlet of lake Lavalette, outlet of lake Cadieux, Saffray River; Upstream of Hécla Lake: outlet of lake Jules-Léger (via Bréhat Lake) Des Quatre-Temps River (via Bréhat Lake. Right: (upstream) La Pêche River (Eastmain), Opinaca River, Kauskatachinu Creek, Kasapawatach Creek, Rapin Creek, Wapatikw Creek, Upstream of Opinaca Reservoir: Wabamisk River, À l'Eau Claire River (Eastmain), outlet of lakes Village, outlet of lake Bauerman, Ross River (Eastmain River), Cauouatstacau River, Misask River; Upstream of Hécla Lake: Du Grand Portage Creek (via Hécla Lake), Léran River (via Hécla Lake)

What's in a Name?

The name "Eastmain" comes from an old trading post. This post was set up by the Hudson's Bay Company at the mouth of the river. It was called "East Main" because it was on the eastern side of James Bay. The river then took its name from this important trading spot.

River's Path and Changes

Since the late 1980s, a lot of the Eastmain River's water has been moved. This water now flows north into the Opinaca Reservoir. This reservoir is very large, covering about 950 square kilometers (367 square miles). From there, the water goes into the Robert-Bourassa Reservoir. This is all part of Hydro-Québec's huge James Bay Project, which creates electricity.

Because of these changes, the Eastmain River now has only about 10% of its original water flow. This means it can even freeze completely in the winter. These changes have affected the way of life for the local Cree and Inuit people who live along the river and the coast of James Bay.

The upper part of the Eastmain River near the Otish Mountains.

Another big project was started in 2005 on the upper part of the Eastmain River. This project is called the Eastmain-1 power plant. It will create a large reservoir, about 600 square kilometers (232 square miles) in size. The power plant will be able to make a lot of electricity, up to 900 megawatts.

The forest along the Eastmain River.

A Look Back in Time

The mouth of the Eastmain River was a very important place for the Hudson's Bay Company. This company was famous for trading furs a long time ago. In the 1670s, a man named Charles Bayly reached the river from another trading post called Rupert House.

Later, in 1723-1724, Joseph Myatt from the Hudson's Bay Company built a trading post right there. This shows how important the river was for trade and travel in the past.

See also

In Spanish: Río Eastmain para niños