Pigou River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pigou River |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Native name | Rivière Pigou |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Petit lac Travers 480 metres (1,570 ft) 50°32′32″N 65°40′47″W / 50.542222°N 65.679722°W |
| River mouth | Gulf of Saint Lawrence 0 metres (0 ft) 50°16′07″N 65°37′16″W / 50.268511°N 65.621145°W |
| Length | 35 kilometres (22 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 169 square kilometres (65 sq mi) |
The Pigou River (which is Rivière Pigou in French) is a special river in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. It is known for its salmon. The river flows into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, which is a large arm of the Atlantic Ocean.
Contents
Where is the Pigou River?
The Pigou River starts high up on the Canadian Shield, a huge rocky area. It then flows into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. This is about 60 kilometres (37 mi) east of a city called Sept-Îles.
The river begins in a small lake called Petit lac Travers. This lake is about 480 metres (1,570 ft) above sea level. The Pigou River is about 35 kilometres (22 mi) long. It flows south through an area called Rivière-Nipissis. A smaller river, the East Pigou River, joins it about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) before it reaches the sea. The very end of the Pigou River is in the area of Sept-Îles.
What Does "Pigou" Mean?
The name "Pigou" might come from the Algonquin language. In Algonquin, pikiou means "gum." This could refer to a place where sticky tree sap (resin) was collected from fir or pine trees.
Another idea is that the name comes from the Innu language. In Innu, pikiou means "fish." This makes sense for a river known for its fish! The name "Pigou" is also used for nearby islands and a fishing spot in the sea.
Some people think "pigou" is an old navy word for a hanging candle holder. But this idea is less likely. The Pigou River was first written about in 1892 by a surveyor named C. C. Duberger. He said the "Pigou River is small and does not appear to be long."
The River's Surroundings
The area around the Pigou River covers about 169 square kilometres (65 sq mi). It is located between two other river basins: the Loups Marins River and the Bouleau River. The land around the river is part of Rivière-Nipissis and the municipality of Sept-Îles.
The ground is made of very old rock, covered by forests typical of cold northern areas. These forests have lots of spruce trees and moss.
Atlantic Salmon in the Pigou River
The Pigou River is home to Atlantic salmon. These salmon are anadromous, which means they live in the ocean but swim up rivers to lay their eggs.
However, there is a 9 metres (30 ft) high waterfall about 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) from the river's mouth. This waterfall blocks the salmon from swimming further upstream. The part of the river below the waterfall has many large pools where fish can rest. It also has short sections of fast-flowing water called rapids. The riverbed in this area is sometimes sandy and sometimes bare rock.
Sadly, not many salmon have been reported caught in the Pigou River recently. Between 1984 and 2017, only two salmon were reported caught, both in 1998.
To help protect salmon, the Quebec government started a program in May 2015. On 16 salmon rivers, including the Pigou, people had to release any large salmon they caught back into the water. This is called "catch-and-release."
In 2017, rules became even stricter for the Pigou River and several others. All salmon, both large and small, had to be released. On many other rivers, only young salmon could be kept. These rules were put in place because the number of Atlantic salmon was rapidly decreasing.
