Rivière à Saumon facts for kids

The Rivière à Saumon, also known as the Salmon River in English, is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows into Wapustagamau Lake. This river is located in a wild, unorganized area called Petit-Mécatina, within the Côte-Nord region. The river is an important part of the local water system, eventually leading to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

River's Journey

The Salmon River generally flows towards the southeast. It runs between two other rivers, the rivière Saint-Augustin Nord-Ouest and the Saint-Augustin River.

Where It Starts

The Salmon River begins at an unnamed lake in the Petit-Mécatina area. This lake is about 2.9 km (1.8 mi) long and sits high up at 408 m (1,339 ft) above sea level. Several smaller lakes feed water into this starting lake.

The source of the river is located:

• About 157 km (98 mi) southwest of the village of Blanc-Sablon.
• About 76.2 km (47.3 mi) northwest of where the rivière Saint-Augustin Nord-Ouest flows into a larger body of water.
• About 36.0 km (22.4 mi) northwest of where the Salmon River itself ends.

The River's Path

From its source, the Salmon River travels for about 51.1 km (31.8 mi). Along its journey, it drops about 289 m (948 ft) in elevation. The entire river flows through a forest area.

Upper Part of the River

The first part of the Salmon River is about 28.1 km (17.5 mi) long.

• It flows north for about 3.5 km (2.2 mi), passing through a lake that is 3.2 km (2.0 mi) long.
• Then, it turns east for about 7.9 km (4.9 mi), crossing three more lakes.
• Next, it flows southeast for about 7.8 km (4.8 mi), going through two small lakes. It then turns south for 1.0 km (0.62 mi) to another lake, which looks like a large head from above!
• Finally, this section goes southeast for 8.9 km (5.5 mi), crossing a lake that is 4.1 km (2.5 mi) long. This lake gets water from ten other lakes.

Lower Part of the River

The second part of the Salmon River is about 23.0 km (14.3 mi) long.

• It flows east for 3.6 km (2.2 mi), curving north to go around some mountains.
• Then, it travels southeast for 10.3 km (6.4 mi) through a deep valley, crossing a triangular-shaped lake that is 3.9 km (2.4 mi) long.
• After that, it goes south for 5.3 km (3.3 mi), crossing another lake that is 2.5 km (1.6 mi) long. This lake receives water from many other lakes.
• The last 3.8 km (2.4 mi) of the river flows south, crossing a rectangular lake that is 0.9 km (0.56 mi) long. This lake also gets water from three other lakes.

Where It Ends

The Salmon River flows into the northern shore of Wapustagamau Lake. This meeting point is about halfway between the southern border of Labrador and the northern shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

This end point is located:

• About 137 km (85 mi) southwest of the village of Blanc-Sablon.
• About 42 km (26 mi) northwest of the mouth of the Saint-Augustin North-West river, which is near the village of Saint-Augustin.
• About 56 km (35 mi) northwest of the northern shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

From where the Salmon River joins Wapustagamau Lake, the water continues its journey. It crosses Wapustagamau Lake for about 3.5 km (2.2 mi) to the west. Then, it flows down the outlet of Wapustagamau lake for 10.2 km (6.3 mi). After that, it joins the rivière Saint-Augustin Nord-Ouest for 61.1 km (38.0 mi) to the east. Next, it flows into the Saint-Augustin River for 5.4 km (3.4 mi) southeast. Finally, it crosses Baie Saint-Augustin for 19.6 km (12.2 mi) to the east, reaching the northern shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

River's Name

The name "Rivière à Saumon" means "Salmon River" in English. This name 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.