Godbout River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Godbout River |
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Mouth of the river
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| Native name | Rivière Godbout |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Lac de la Traverse 49°58′13″N 67°53′54″W / 49.970278°N 67.898333°W |
| River mouth | Estuary of Saint Lawrence Godbout 49°18′30″N 67°36′17″W / 49.3083333°N 67.6047222°W |
| Length | 112 kilometres (70 mi) |
The Godbout River (also known as Rivière Godbout in French) is a cool river in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. It flows into the big Estuary of Saint Lawrence right next to the small village of Godbout. This river is well-known for its beautiful nature and great fishing opportunities.
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Where is the Godbout River Located?
The Godbout River is found in Godbout, which is part of the Manicouagan Regional County Municipality. It stretches for about 112 kilometers (about 70 miles). The river starts in a lake called Lac de la Traverse. This lake gets its water from a smaller river named Rivière Hall. Rivière Hall begins just south of Lake Sainte-Anne.
The Godbout River generally flows towards the southeast. It eventually empties into the Saint Lawrence River, just south of Godbout village. Its main branch, the Rivière Godbout Est, flows south from Lake Sainte-Anne. This branch joins the main Godbout River further south.
How Did the Godbout River Get its Name?
The native Montagnais people had their own name for the river: Oiaouirabougou or Oiauirabugu. This name meant "whirlpool," which tells us a lot about the river's fast-moving sections.
The name Godbout or Godebout started appearing in old documents from the 1600s. There are two main ideas about how the river got this name:
- One idea is that it was named after François Godbout. He was the captain of a ship for the Hudson's Bay Company, a very old trading company.
- However, it's more likely that the village of Godbout was named first. This village might have been named after Nicolas Godeboust (1634−1674). He was a navigator and pilot mentioned in a census from 1666. Then, the river was named after the village.
An old text from 1670 by a priest named Père Albanel mentions the "rivière Godebout." Also, a map from 1684 by Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin shows the place as "Godebou." The name was officially recognized on December 5, 1968.
Exploring the Godbout River Environment
The Godbout River flows through two main types of natural areas in Quebec. The Rivière Godbout Est starts in an area with spruce trees and moss, which is part of the northern forest zone (boreal zone). The main Godbout River flows through a different part of the boreal zone, where fir trees and white birch trees are common.
The river has a large area that collects water, and many smaller streams flow into it. As it winds its way, the river passes through mountains and rocky cliffs. It has many sections with fast-moving water called rapids, and also seven beautiful waterfalls! The areas around the river are mostly covered in northern forests, mainly with cone-bearing trees like pines and spruces.
A Famous River for Fishing
The Godbout River has a long history as a popular spot for fishing.
Napoléon-Alexandre Comeau: The River's Guardian
Napoléon-Alexandre Comeau (1848–1923) was a very important person connected to the Godbout River. He was a hunter, a protector of fish, a government worker, a naturalist (someone who studies nature), and an author. His father worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company, so Napoléon grew up in trading posts.
In the 1860s, he became the fishery warden for the Godbout River. He held this job for over 60 years! During his time, the river was a very popular place for important business people and politicians from Canada and the United States to come and fish for salmon. Comeau used his deep knowledge of fishing and hunting in the Côte-Nord region to become a skilled naturalist. He even wrote articles for famous magazines like National Geographic and Forest and Stream. He was also involved in many efforts to manage and protect the environment.
Fishing Today on the Godbout River
Even today, the Godbout River is known as one of Quebec's best rivers for catching Atlantic salmon. You can also find speckled trout here. The Atlantic salmon in the Godbout River are mostly large fish. They arrive in the river's mouth in early June. If the water flow is too high (above 25 cubic meters per second), the salmon cannot swim past the waterfalls. So, they wait in deeper spots downstream until early August.
About 70 kilometers (about 43 miles) of the river is managed by a special area called a zone d'exploitation contrôlée (ZEC). This is a "managed use zone" called the Zec des Rivières-Godbout-et-Mistassini. The very end part of the river, called the Cap-Nord section, is owned by a private club. However, you can still get permission to fish there through an agreement with the ZEC.
Long ago, coureurs des bois (French-Canadian fur traders) visited this river to hunt for furs. The area around the Godbout River is still known for its good hunting opportunities.
