Port-Daniel River facts for kids

The Port-Daniel River is a beautiful river in Quebec, Canada. It flows through the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region. This river passes through two main areas. First, it goes through the southern part of Rivière-Bonaventure, which is an unorganized territory. Then, it crosses the town of Port-Daniel–Gascons.

The Port-Daniel River is like a smaller stream that feeds into a larger body of water. It flows into a special type of lagoon called a barachois near the hamlet of Rivière-Port-Daniel. This barachois then opens up into Port-Daniel Bay. Finally, Port-Daniel Bay connects to the big Chaleur Bay, which leads to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

The River's Journey

Where the River Starts

The Port-Daniel River begins high up in the mountains. Its source is in the northwestern part of Weir township, within the Rivière-Bonaventure area. This starting point is on the eastern side of a "dividing line." This means that water on one side flows into the Port-Daniel River, while water on the other side flows into different streams like McCrea Creek or the Grand Pabos West River.

The river's source is located about 3.5 km (2.2 mi) northwest of the Canadian National Railway bridge. This bridge crosses the mouth of the barachois where the river ends its journey.

Flowing Through the Land

From its source, the Port-Daniel River travels about 30.7 km (19.1 mi). It generally flows towards the east, then turns southeast. Most of its path is through forests and mountains.

Upper Part of the River

The first part of the river's journey is about 14.6 km (9.1 mi) long. Here, it flows southeast and is joined by several smaller streams. These include the Ravin Vert stream, the Grand Ravin stream, and the Nadeau stream. This section ends when the river reaches the area that used to be the municipality of Port-Daniel, now part of Port-Daniel–Gascons.

Middle Part of the River

The next section of the river is about 9.2 km (5.7 mi) long. This part of the river forms the western edge of the Réserve faunique de Port-Daniel, which is a wildlife reserve. Along this stretch, the river receives water from Lac Marguerite and Lac Gillis.

Lower Part of the River

The final part of the river's journey is about 6.9 km (4.3 mi) long. In this section, the river flows south, making a curve towards the east. It is joined by the Lac à la Pelle stream. Finally, it turns southwest before reaching its mouth.

Where the River Ends

The Port-Daniel River flows into the northern side of the barachois at Rivière-Port-Daniel. A barachois is like a shallow lagoon or a bay that is partly separated from the sea by a sandbar or a spit of land. At low tide, the river crosses the sand.

This barachois is bordered by Pointe à la Croix on the east and a jetty on the south. These two land features are connected by the Canadian National Railway bridge and Quebec Route 132.

The barachois then opens into Port-Daniel Bay to the southeast. Port-Daniel Bay itself opens into the larger Chaleur Bay. Chaleur Bay is about 2.8 km (1.7 mi) wide at its opening and is bordered by "Cap de la Vieille" to the east and "Pointe du Sud-Ouest."

The mouth of the Port-Daniel River is located on the west side of the Rivière-Port-Daniel hamlet. It is also about 0.4 km (0.25 mi) northeast of where the Rivière Port-Daniel du Milieu joins the water.

Naming the River

The name "Rivière Port-Daniel" was officially recognized on January 21, 1975. This was done by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is the official body in Quebec responsible for naming places.