Mailloux River facts for kids

The Mailloux River is a small river in Quebec, Canada. It flows into the famous St. Lawrence River from its north shore. You can find this river in the town of La Malbaie, which is part of the Charlevoix-Est Regional County Municipality.

The area around the Mailloux River is a mix of city life and nature. Near the river's southern part, you'll find roads like Chemin du Golf and Boulevard de Comporté. These roads make it easy to visit the area. Many businesses here focus on tourism, like hotels and places for visitors to stay. Further up the river, the land is used for farming and forestry.

The river's surface usually freezes over in early December. It stays frozen until the end of 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 falls. A big increase in water, called a spring flood, usually happens in March or April.

River's Journey

The Mailloux River starts its journey from a small lake hidden in a forest. This lake is located in an area where both farming and forestry take place. It's found northeast of the rang Saint-Joseph road.

The lake is about:

• 0.9 kilometres (0.56 mi) northwest of a mountain peak (which is 460 metres (1,510 ft) high).
• 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) southeast of the village center of Sainte-Agnès.
• 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) southeast of Highway 138.
• 4.9 kilometres (3.0 mi) south of downtown Clermont.
• 7.9 kilometres (4.9 mi) west of La Malbaie, which is on the northwest side of the St. Lawrence River.

From its source, the Mailloux River flows for about 9.5 kilometres (5.9 mi). During this journey, it drops 366 metres (1,201 ft) in height.

Here's how the river flows:

• For the first 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi), it goes northeast through a forest. Then, it turns east and crosses some farmland until it reaches Chemin du rang Saint-Charles.
• Next, it flows 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) northeast through more farms and forests. Here, it meets a small stream coming from the west.
• Finally, it travels 5.2 kilometres (3.2 mi) east, following Chemin Mailloux. Along this part, it collects water from two streams coming from the southwest and one from the west. It passes north of the small village of Rivière-Mailloux and crosses Highway 362 (Boulevard de Comporté) before reaching its end.

Where the River Ends

The Mailloux River empties into the St. Lawrence River on the west side of La Malbaie. This is right in the middle of the village of La Malbaie.

The mouth of the river is located:

• 1.35 kilometres (0.84 mi) southeast of the bridge over the Malbaie River in downtown La Malbaie.
• 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) northwest of the small area called Pointe-au-Pic.
• 2.9 kilometres (1.8 mi) northwest of the famous Manoir Richelieu.

River's Name

The name "Mailloux" comes from a French family name. The official name "rivière Mailloux" was made formal on December 5, 1968. This was done by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is in charge of place names in Quebec.

Related Places

• Charlevoix-Est Regional County Municipality
• La Malbaie, a city
• St. Lawrence River
• Malbaie River
• List of rivers of Quebec