Portage River (Petit-Saguenay River tributary) facts for kids

The Portage River is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows into the Petit Saguenay River. The river passes through the towns of L'Anse-Saint-Jean and Petit-Saguenay. The upper part of the river goes through a special protected area called the Zec de l'Anse-Saint-Jean.

Roads like Route 170 help people get to the lower part of the river. Other forest roads serve the rest of the valley, especially in the Zec area. The main activity in this area is forestry, which means cutting down trees. Tourism, like visiting for fun, is the second most important activity.

The Portage River usually freezes over from early December to late March. It's generally safe to walk or travel on the ice from mid-December to mid-March.

The Portage River's Path

The Portage River is a major stream that flows into the Petit Saguenay River. It starts from a lake called "Lac à Noël". This lake is about 2.7 km (1.7 mi) long and is high up in the mountains, at an altitude of 472 m (1,549 ft). The lake is surrounded by tall cliffs.

This starting lake is found between two mountains: Mont à l'Ours (Bear Mount), which is 880 m (2,890 ft) tall, and East Mount, which is 712 m (2,336 ft) tall. It's in the southern part of the Zec de l'Anse-Saint-Jean.

The Portage River flows for about 42.5 km (26.4 mi) from its source. Here's how its journey generally goes:

Upper Part of the River

The first part of the Portage River is about 19.1 km (11.9 mi) long.

• It flows north, going through Piat Lake for its entire length.
• It continues north, crossing Huet Lake.
• The river then makes a loop to the southeast before heading northeast.
• It passes through marshy areas and over many rapids in a steep valley.
• Finally, it winds northeast through another steep valley.

Lower Part of the River

The second part of the Portage River is about 23.4 km (14.5 mi) long.

• It flows east through a steep valley.
• Then it goes northeast through a hidden valley, where it meets Petite Poussière Creek.
• It continues northeast in a steep valley, collecting water from another lake.
• The river then snakes northeast through a wider valley until it reaches its end.

The Portage River eventually flows into the Petit Saguenay River. This meeting point is:

• About 13.4 km (8.3 mi) southeast of the village of L'Anse-Saint-Jean.
• About 5.3 km (3.3 mi) northwest of the village of Petit-Saguenay.
• About 8.3 km (5.2 mi) southeast of where the Petit Saguenay River meets the Saguenay River.
• About 25.7 km (16.0 mi) west of Tadoussac.

Neighboring Rivers

The main rivers and streams near the Portage River are:

• To the North: The Petit Saguenay River and the Saguenay River.
• To the East: The Petit Saguenay River, the Saint-Athanase River, and the Saint-Étienne River.
• To the South: Dallaire Creek and the Petit Saguenay River.
• To the West: The Saint-Jean River.

What's in a Name?

In Quebec, there are nine rivers named "Portage River". The word "Portage" refers to a place where people had to carry their boats, usually canoes, and their gear around an obstacle in the river, like rapids or waterfalls. It was a way to get past parts of the river that were too difficult to travel by boat.

The name "Rivière du Portage" for this specific river was officially recognized on December 5, 1968, by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is the organization in charge of place names in Quebec.