La Petite Décharge (La Grosse Décharge) facts for kids

La Petite Décharge is a small river in Quebec, Canada. It flows through a wild area called Lac-Ministuk. This river is a branch of La Grosse Décharge.

The river's path goes through the northern part of the zec Mars-Moulin, which is a special zone for hunting and fishing. Roads like "Chemin de la Consol Paper" and "Chemin des Lac des Maltais" help people get to this valley. Other smaller forest roads are also used for logging and fun outdoor activities.

The main activities in this valley are forestry (cutting down trees) and recreational tourism (like hiking or fishing).

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

River's Path and Surroundings

The main areas around La Petite Décharge are:

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

Where the River Starts

La Petite Décharge begins where two small streams meet. This spot is in a forest and mountain area, about 317 m (1,040 ft) high.

This starting point is:

• 1.6 km (0.99 mi) northeast of the rivière du Moulin.
• 8.6 km (5.3 mi) southeast of the village of Laterrière.
• 8.8 km (5.5 mi) southwest of where La Petite Décharge joins la Grosse Décharge.
• 13.1 km (8.1 mi) southeast of the Portage-des-Roches dam.
• 22.2 km (13.8 mi) southeast of where the rivière du Moulin meets the Saguenay River in Chicoutimi.

How the River Flows

La Petite Décharge flows for about 12.5 km (7.8 mi). It drops about 127 m (417 ft) in height along its path. The entire river flows through a forest.

Here's how it flows:

• It goes northeast for 3.6 km (2.2 mi). Along the way, it collects water from "Grand lac à Foin" and "Petit lac à Foin". It then reaches a small lake.
• It continues north for 1.2 km (0.75 mi), crossing another small lake.
• It turns east for 2.5 km (1.6 mi), crossing a small lake, then curves northeast.
• It flows northeast for 2.8 km (1.7 mi), making a big curve to the west.
• It goes northeast for 1.8 km (1.1 mi), crossing a small lake and collecting water from another stream.
• Finally, it flows northeast for 0.6 km (0.37 mi) until it reaches its end.

Where the River Ends

La Petite Décharge flows into La Grosse Décharge on its south side.

This meeting point is located:

• 0.6 km (0.37 mi) west of the rivière à Mars.
• 6.8 km (4.2 mi) southwest of the Ha! Ha! River.
• 6.4 km (4.0 mi) southeast of Bagotville Airport.
• 8.6 km (5.3 mi) northeast of the rivière du Moulin.
• 10.5 km (6.5 mi) southwest of where the Mars river meets the Baie des Ha! Ha!.
• 17.6 km (10.9 mi) southeast of downtown Saguenay.

From the mouth of La Petite Décharge, the water travels:

• 0.6 km (0.37 mi) east along La Grosse Décharge.
• 14.5 km (9.0 mi) north and northeast along the rivière à Mars.
• 11.0 km (6.8 mi) northeast across Baie des Ha! Ha!.
• 99.5 km (61.8 mi) east along the Saguenay River to Tadoussac.
• Finally, it joins the Saint Lawrence Estuary.

River's Name

The name "La Petite Décharge" was officially recognized on June 29, 1983. This was done by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is in charge of place names in Quebec.

More About This Area

• Le Fjord-du-Saguenay Regional County Municipality
• Lac-Ministuk, a special kind of unorganized territory.
• Zec Mars-Moulin, a controlled harvesting zone.
• La Grosse Décharge (Mars River tributary)
• Rivière à Mars
• Baie des Ha! Ha!
• Saguenay River
• List of rivers of Quebec