kids encyclopedia robot

Ouareau River facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This article is about Ouareau (disambiguation)|Ouareau. For other uses, see Ouareau River (disambiguation).
Quick facts for kids
Ouareau River
Saint-Liguori Quebec.jpg
Ouareau River in Saint-Liguori.
Country Canada
Province Quebec
Region Lanaudière
Regional County Municipalities Matawinie Regional County Municipality, Montcalm Regional County Municipality and Joliette Regional County Municipality
Physical characteristics
Main source Lake Ouareau
Saint-Donat, Quebec
387 m (1,270 ft)
46°19′02″N 74°07′40″W / 46.317324°N 74.127811°W / 46.317324; -74.127811
River mouth L'Assomption River
L'Épiphanie, Quebec (town)
9 m (30 ft)
45°56′24″N 73°24′27″W / 45.94°N 73.4075°W / 45.94; -73.4075
Length 83.8 km (52.1 mi)
Basin features
Tributaries
  • Left:
    (Upward from the mouth) Rouge River, Trudel River, Gour Creek, Beaurivage Creek, North River, Cadieux Creek, outlet of the Lacs du Beaver, discharge from Lake Provost, from Lake to the Island, Lake Prévost, Lake Georges and Lac Blanc, Pagé Creek, discharge from Sombre Lake, Caribou Creek, discharge from Baribeau Lake.
  • Right:
    (Upward from the mouth) Burton River, Jean-Venne River, Perreault brook, Paré lake outlet, Voir brook, Baulne River, Dufresne River, Lafrenière cove.

The Ouareau River is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows into the Assomption River. This river runs through the Lanaudière region. It passes through several areas, including:

  • Matawinie Regional County Municipality (like Saint-Donat and Rawdon)
  • Montcalm Regional County Municipality (like Sainte-Julienne and Saint-Liguori)
  • Joliette Regional County Municipality (like Crabtree and Saint-Paul)

The river flows near the towns of Chertsey, Rawdon, Saint-Liguori, and Crabtree. Many roads follow the river, making it easy to access. The river usually freezes from mid-December to late March. It's generally safe to walk on the ice from late December to early March. The water level changes with the seasons and how much rain falls.

Where the Ouareau River Starts

Lac Ouareau
Geography of Lake Ouareau

The Ouareau River begins in Saint-Donat. Its source is at a dam on the northeast side of Lake Ouareau. This lake is about 7.6 kilometres (4.7 mi) long and 4.1 kilometres (2.5 mi) wide. It sits at an altitude of 387 metres (1,270 ft).

The lake's mouth is about 14.4 kilometres (8.9 mi) north of Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci. It is also about 50.4 kilometres (31.3 mi) northwest of Rawdon. From its start, the Ouareau River flows for about 83.8 kilometres (52.1 mi).

Rivers and Streams Joining the Ouareau

As the Ouareau River flows, many smaller rivers and streams join it. These include:

  • Pagé Creek
  • Dufresne River
  • Baulne River
  • Noir stream
  • Beaurivage Creek
  • Gour stream
  • Trudel River
  • Rivière du Nord (Ouareau River)
  • Jean-Venne River
  • Burton River
  • Rouge River

The River's Journey

The Ouareau River's journey can be divided into three main parts:

Upper Part of the River

This section is about 23.0 kilometres (14.3 mi) long.

  • It flows northeast in Saint-Donat, passing through Lac Chambord.
  • Then it turns southeast, collecting water from Lac Sombre.
  • It continues southeast through Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci, where Lafrenière Creek joins it.
  • The river crosses an area called Les Cinq Chutes.
  • Further southeast, it collects water from several lakes like Lac à l'Île and Lac Prévost. It also gets water from the North River (Ouareau River). This part of the river flows near the Ouareau Forest Regional Park.

Middle Part of the River

Pont de la route 348, vue de la rue Saint-Patrick, à Rawdon
Route 348 bridge over the Ouareau River in Rawdon, Quebec.

This section is about 31.0 kilometres (19.3 mi) long.

  • It flows south through Chertsey. Here, the Baulne River and other streams join it.
  • It passes around the village of Grande-Vallée.
  • The river continues south, with Beaurivage brook and Perreault brook adding water.
  • It goes through rapids and falls until the Jean-Venne River joins it.
  • More rapids and falls are found before the Burton River flows in.
  • The river then enters Rawdon, passing Les Cascades rapids.
  • Finally, it crosses Pontbriand Lake, ending at the Rawdon dam in the village.

Lower Part of the River

This final section is about 29.8 kilometres (18.5 mi) long.

  • It flows southeast, passing south of Rawdon and under the route 348 bridge.
  • It goes through the Parc des Chutes-Dorwin and Manchester Falls.
  • For a while, it forms the border between Saint-Jacques and Saint-Liguori.
  • It flows under the route 346 bridge in Saint-Liguori.
  • The river then goes around Archange-Godbout Island before reaching Crabtree.
  • In Crabtree, it passes under route 158.
  • The Rouge River joins it from the northwest.
  • It flows past the village of Crabtree.
  • The river then forms the border between Crabtree and Saint-Paul.
  • Finally, it makes a large S-shape to Pointe à Forget, where it joins the Assomption River.

The Ouareau River meets the Assomption River in Saint-Paul. This meeting point is about 11.6 kilometres (7.2 mi) northwest of the St. Lawrence River. It is also about 9.4 kilometres (5.8 mi) south of downtown Joliette.

What's in a Name?

The name "Ouareau" comes from the Algonquin language. It means "in the distance." The official name "Ouareau River" was set on December 5, 1968, by the Commission de toponymie du Québec.

River Health

The water quality of the Ouareau River is generally better upstream (closer to its source) than downstream (closer to where it ends). Downstream, the water quality can be affected by pollution from towns, factories, and farms. This can impact the fish living in the river.

Related Articles

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Ouareau River Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.