La Grosse Décharge (Mars River tributary) facts for kids

La Grosse Décharge is a small river in Quebec, Canada. It flows into the larger Rivière à Mars. This river is located in Lac-Ministuk, which is a large area in the Le Fjord-du-Saguenay Regional County Municipality without many towns.

The river also flows through the northern part of the Zec Mars-Moulin. A ZEC is a special area where people can go hunting and fishing.

Some forest roads, like the "Chemin de la Consol Paper," help people get to this river valley. These roads are mostly used for logging and outdoor fun like hiking or fishing. Logging is the main activity here, followed by tourism.

The river usually freezes over from early December to late March. It's generally safe to walk or play on the ice from mid-December to mid-March.

Where is La Grosse Décharge?

La Grosse Décharge is surrounded by other rivers and lakes. Here are some of the nearby waterways:

• North side: Lac des Maltais, Gauthier River, Paradis brook, Rivière du Moulin, Saguenay River.
• East side: Rivière à Mars, Lake Como, Bras du Coco, Bras Rocheux, Bras d'Hamel, Ha! Ha! River.
• South side: Rivière du Moulin, Bras de Jacob, Bras Henriette.
• West side: Rivière du Moulin, Pères lake, Bras Henriette.

The River's Start

La Grosse Décharge begins at a lake called "Lac de la Grosse Décharge." This lake is about 0.6 kilometers (0.37 miles) long and sits at an elevation of 239 meters (784 feet). There's a marshy area on the east side of the lake.

The start of the river is located:

• 1.3 kilometers (0.81 miles) northeast of the Rivière au Moulin.
• 5.2 kilometers (3.2 miles) south of a small community called Malherbe.
• 8.0 kilometers (5.0 miles) southwest of where La Grosse Décharge joins the Rivière à Mars.
• 10.5 kilometers (6.5 miles) east of the Portage-des-Roches dam, which is at the beginning of the Chicoutimi River.
• 17.3 kilometers (10.7 miles) southeast of where the Rivière du Moulin meets the Saguenay River in the Chicoutimi area of Saguenay.

The River's Journey

From its source, La Grosse Décharge flows for about 9.8 kilometers (6.1 miles). It drops 69 meters (226 feet) in elevation along its path, which is entirely through a forest.

Here's how the river flows:

• It starts by flowing 0.7 kilometers (0.43 miles) to the west, then turns north.
• It then travels 3.3 kilometers (2.1 miles) northeast, passing through the Pond of the Grosse Décharge. This pond is 1.1 kilometers (0.68 miles) long and 187 meters (614 feet) high.
• Next, it goes 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) northeast, crossing an artificial lake (0.8 kilometers or 0.50 miles long, 182 meters or 597 feet high), until it reaches a small dam.
• It continues 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles) northeast, crossing a small lake for 0.3 kilometers (0.19 miles). It then turns east until it meets a stream coming from the southwest, which drains lakes Xavier and Colard.
• It flows 0.24 kilometers (0.15 miles) northeast to where the water from Lac aux Bleuets (coming from the west) joins it.
• Then, it goes 1.3 kilometers (0.81 miles) east to meet La Petite Décharge (coming from the southwest).
• Finally, it flows almost straight east for 0.6 kilometers (0.37 miles) until it reaches its mouth.

The River's End

La Grosse Décharge empties into the west bank of the Rivière à Mars. This meeting point is located:

• 6.4 kilometers (4.0 miles) southwest of the Ha! Ha! River.
• 6.7 kilometers (4.2 miles) southeast of the Bagotville Airport.
• 9.1 kilometers (5.7 miles) northeast of the Rivière du Moulin.
• 9.9 kilometers (6.2 miles) southwest of where the Rivière à Mars joins the Baie des Ha! Ha!.
• 18.1 kilometers (11.2 miles) southeast of downtown Saguenay.

From this point, the water from La Grosse Décharge travels along the Rivière à Mars for 14.5 kilometers (9.0 miles). Then it crosses the Baie des Ha! Ha! for 11.0 kilometers (6.8 miles). Finally, it flows along the Saguenay River for 99.5 kilometers (61.8 miles) until it reaches Tadoussac. There, it joins the Saint Lawrence Estuary, which leads to the Atlantic Ocean.

What's in a Name?

The name "La Grosse Décharge" was officially recognized on December 5, 1968, by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is like a special committee that names places in Quebec.

See Also

• Le Fjord-du-Saguenay Regional County Municipality
• Lac-Ministuk, a large unorganized territory
• Zec Mars-Moulin, a controlled harvesting zone
• Rivière à Mars
• Baie des Ha! Ha!
• Saguenay River
• List of rivers of Quebec