Lombrette River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lombrette River |
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|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Capitale-Nationale |
| Regional County Municipality | La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality |
| Municipality | Petite-Rivière-Saint-François and Saint-Tite-des-Caps |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Unidentified lake Petite-Rivière-Saint-François 677 m 47°00′20″N 70°39′17″W / 47.00564°N 70.65484°W |
| River mouth | Sainte-Anne River Saint-Tite-des-Caps 37 m 47°11′05″N 70°44′23″W / 47.18471°N 70.73960°W |
| Length | 262 km (163 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries |
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The Lombrette River is a small river in Quebec, Canada. It flows into the Sainte-Anne River, which then joins the mighty Saint Lawrence River. This river is located in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec.
The Lombrette River passes through two main areas:
- Petite-Rivière-Saint-François
- Saint-Tite-des-Caps
The valley where the river flows is mostly covered by forests. Because of this, forestry (cutting down trees for wood) is the main activity here. There's also some tourism, like people visiting the area.
During winter, the river usually freezes over. It's typically frozen from early December to late March. However, it's safest to walk or play on the ice from mid-December to mid-March. The amount of water in the river changes with the seasons and how much rain or snow falls. The biggest flood, called the spring flood, happens in March or April when the snow melts.
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Exploring the Lombrette River
The Lombrette River starts in Petite-Rivière-Saint-François. Its source is an unnamed lake, high up at 677 meters (about 2,221 feet) above sea level. This lake is surrounded by mountains.
The lake is located:
- About 5.3 kilometers (3.3 miles) east of the Saint Lawrence River.
- About 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) southwest of the village of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François.
- About 6.7 kilometers (4.2 miles) east of a bend in the Sainte-Anne River.
From this high point, the Lombrette River flows downhill for 26.2 kilometers (16.3 miles). It drops a total of 640 meters (2,100 feet) as it makes its way to the Sainte-Anne River.
The River's Journey: Upper Course
The first part of the Lombrette River's journey is about 16.8 kilometers (10.4 miles) long.
- For the first 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles), it flows south, making a turn to the east and going down the mountain.
- Then, it flows south for 2.3 kilometers (1.4 miles), passing west of Salvation Mountain.
- Next, it travels 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) southeast through a deep valley. Here, it flows out of a small lake that gets water from an eastern stream.
- For 6.8 kilometers (4.2 miles), it continues south through a valley between McLean Mountain and another mountain. It picks up water from a western stream and winds around a lot.
- It then flows southwest for 3.0 kilometers (1.9 miles), making two S-shapes and passing south of a small village. It reaches Route 138.
- Finally, for 1.6 kilometers (1.0 miles), it flows south, forming many small winding paths, until it meets the rivière des Chenaux.
The River's Journey: Lower Course
The last part of the Lombrette River's journey is about 9.4 kilometers (5.8 miles) long.
- It flows south for 7.0 kilometers (4.3 miles), passing west of the Domaine-Armand-Crépeault area, which is west of the village of Saint-Tite-des-Caps. It still winds around in places.
- For the final 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles), it flows southwest through farmland until it reaches its mouth.
The Lombrette River joins the Sainte-Anne River in Saint-Tite-des-Caps. This meeting point is about 6.7 kilometers (4.2 miles) west of the Saint Lawrence River. It's also about 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) southwest of the center of Saint-Tite-des-Caps village.
From where the Lombrette River meets it, the Sainte-Anne River flows for another 14.0 kilometers (8.7 miles) generally south. It eventually reaches the northwest shore of the Saint Lawrence River.
The Story Behind the Name
The name "Lombrette River" has an interesting history! On an old map of Quebec from 1870, the river was called "R. The Ombrette."
The name likely comes from a nickname, "Lombrette," used by a master mason named Pierre Simard. He arrived in New France (now Quebec) in 1654. His son, Noël Simard, also used the nickname. Noël Simard was a laborer who received land near this river.
It's a bit of a mystery where the nickname "Lombrette" came from. It might have been the name of a farm or place in Pierre Simard's home country near Angoulême, France. Another idea is that "ombrette" could be a small version of "shade," or it could refer to a type of bony fish that looks a bit like salmon or trout but has a small mouth.
The way the name was spelled changed over time. In 1949, it was spelled "L'Ombrette," but in 1974, the Geographic Commission changed it to "Lombrette." For a while, the river was also known as "Rivière McLean," named after John McLean, who owned land in Saint-Tite-des-Caps.
The official name "rivière Lombrette" was made formal on August 29, 1972, by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is like the official naming board for places in Quebec.
