Rapides River facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rapides River
Other name(s)	Rivière des Rapides
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Côte-Nord
RCM	Sept-Rivières
Physical characteristics
Main source	640 metres (2,100 ft)
River mouth	Gulf of Saint Lawrence 0 metres (0 ft) 50°16′07″N 66°27′26″W / 50.2686111°N 66.4572222°W / 50.2686111; -66.4572222
Length	48 kilometres (30 mi)
Basin features
Basin size	573 square kilometres (221 sq mi)

The Rapides River (which means Rivière des Rapides in French) is a river in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. It flows into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

Where is the Rapides River?

The Rapides River flows from north to south. It travels about 48 kilometres (30 mi) (30 miles). The river starts high up at 640 metres (2,100 ft) (2,100 feet). It then flows all the way down to sea level.

The end of the river forms a small bay. This bay is about 200 metres (660 ft) (650 feet) wide. It is also 400 metres (1,300 ft) (1,300 feet) long. This bay opens into the Sept Îles Bay. This happens just past Père-Conan island.

The river's mouth is in the town of Sept-Îles. This town is part of the Sept-Rivières Regional County. The river flows into Sept-Îles bay. This is to the west of the main Sept-Îles community. The name "Rapides River" became official on December 5, 1968. No one knows for sure where the name came from.

Explore Aylmer-Whittom Park

At the river's mouth, you'll find Aylmer-Whittom Park. It is also known as Squirrel Park. This park has a natural mixed forest. It is mostly filled with spruce trees and lichen.

The park has many trails for walking. There are also two towers for observing. From these towers, you can see the bay. You can also watch the birds that live there. One tower even has special binoculars. For younger kids, there is a miniature village to explore.

What is the Rapides River Like?

An old book from 1914, called Dictionnaire des rivières et lacs de la province de Québec, describes the river. It says:

This river is on the north coast of the Saint Lawrence. It flows into the Sept-Iles bay. This bay is 300 miles below Quebec. This river has two waterfalls. The first waterfall is one mile from its mouth. The second is 31 miles from its mouth. A short distance from its mouth, there is a large amount of iron ore. This ore is found in the rocks of the area.

The River's Basin

The area that the Rapides River drains is called its basin. This basin covers 573 square kilometres (221 sq mi) (221 square miles). It is long and narrow, stretching from north to south. It is about 40 kilometres (25 mi) (25 miles) long. It is between 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) (6 miles) and 20 kilometres (12 mi) (12 miles) wide.

The Rapides River basin is located between two other river basins. To the west is the Sainte-Marguerite River. To the east is the Moisie River. Most of the basin (80.7%) is in a wild area called Lac-Walker. The rest (19.3%) is in the town of Sept-Îles. A part of the basin is also in the Zec Matimek area. This part covers 144 square kilometres (56 sq mi) (56 square miles).

Land Features of the Basin

Most of the river basin is a high plateau. This plateau has deep valleys. The slopes in these valleys can rise over 300 metres (980 ft) (980 feet). The highest point in the basin is 716 metres (2,349 ft) (2,349 feet) high. This is in the northern part of the basin.

Closer to the coast, there is a "piedmont" area. This area is about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) (2.5 miles) wide. It has rounded rocky hills. These hills can be up to 250 metres (820 ft) (820 feet) high. The flat coastal plain is in the south. It is less than 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) (1.2 miles) wide. It rises to about 60 metres (200 ft) (200 feet) in height.

Rocks and Soil

The ground in the basin is mostly made of magmatic rocks. These rocks have been changed over time. They include rocks like migmatite, anorthosite, and gneiss. On the high plateau, the bare rock is often visible. In some spots, there is a thin layer of glacial till. This is soil left behind by glaciers.

Some valleys hold sediments left by melting glaciers. In the piedmont and coastal plain, there is a lot of silt and clay. These were left by the Goldthwait Sea after the glaciers melted. As the land rose and the sea pulled back, these fine soils were covered. They were then covered by sandy sediments from river mouths.

How the River Flows

In the northern plateau, rivers and streams follow straight paths. These paths are shaped by cracks in the bedrock. Downstream, the rivers curve and wind. They flow through the softer soils of the piedmont and coastal plain.

The main rivers that flow into the Rapides River are:

• The Desmeules River
• The Deschênes River
• The Champion River

These rivers drain different parts of the basin. The Bouleau waterfall is on the Rapides River. It is located above where the Desmeules River joins it.

Waterfalls to See

There are three waterfalls in the lower part of the river. These are between Lake Rapides and the river's mouth:

• The Outarde waterfall: 6.1 kilometres (3.8 mi) (3.8 miles) from the mouth.
• The Grosse Chute waterfall: 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi) (1.9 miles) from the mouth.
• The Cran de Fer waterfall: 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) (1.1 miles) from the mouth.

Lakes in the Basin

The river basin has several large lakes. They have irregular shapes. Some of the biggest lakes are:

• Lake Grand Rapides: 9.3 square kilometres (3.6 sq mi) (3.6 square miles)
• Lake Rapides: 7.8 square kilometres (3.0 sq mi) (3.0 square miles)
• Lake Curot: 6.2 square kilometres (2.4 sq mi) (2.4 square miles)
• Lake Tortellier: 3.3 square kilometres (1.3 sq mi) (1.3 square miles)
• Lake Hingan: 2.8 square kilometres (1.1 sq mi) (1.1 square miles)

All the water bodies cover about 8.31% of the basin. There are also peat bogs in the area. These are wet, spongy lands. They cover about 0.95% of the basin. Most are on the flat coastal plain.

From 1947 to 1983, scientists measured the river's flow. This was done at a station 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi) (1.9 miles) from the mouth. The river's average flow was 16.4 cubic metres per second (580 cu ft/s) (579 cubic feet per second). This flow changed throughout the year. It ranged from 3.25 cubic metres per second (115 cu ft/s) (115 cubic feet per second) to 38.3 cubic metres per second (1,350 cu ft/s) (1,350 cubic feet per second).

Plants and Animals of the Rapides River

The Rapides River is in a special ecological region. This region is known for its spruce and moss forests. The main trees you will find are:

• Black spruce (Picea mariana)
• Balsam fir (Abies balsamea)

You can also find some hardwood trees. These include:

• Paper birch (Betula papyrifera)
• Trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides)
• Balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera)

The Rapides River is not known as a salmon river. However, many other fish species live there. These include:

• Rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax)
• American eel (Anguilla rostrata)
• Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
• Ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius)
• Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)