Rivière Noire Sud-Ouest facts for kids

The Rivière Noire Sud-Ouest (which means 'Black River Southwest') is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows into the Noire River. This river is entirely within the Mont-Élie area, which is part of the Charlevoix-Est Regional County Municipality.

A main road, Route 170, runs near the lower part of the river's valley. This road connects Saint-Siméon and Petit-Saguenay. There are also smaller forest roads in the valley. These roads are used for logging and for fun activities like tourism.

The main activity in this area is forestry, which means cutting down trees for wood. Tourism and recreation, like visiting for fun, are the second most important activities.

The surface of the Rivière Noire Sud-Ouest 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.

Discover the River's Path

The Rivière Noire Sud-Ouest starts from Julie Lake. This lake is small, about 0.3 km (0.19 mi) long, and is very high up, at an altitude of 729 m (2,392 ft).

The river's source is located:

• About 14.7 km (9.1 mi) southwest of where it joins the Noire River.
• About 25.2 km (15.7 mi) southwest of where the Noire River flows into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• About 4.7 km (2.9 mi) southeast of the lake where the Petit Saguenay River begins.

From Julie Lake, the Rivière Noire Sud-Ouest flows for about 27.9 km (17.3 mi). Its journey can be divided into two main parts:

Upper River Journey

The first part of the river's journey covers about 18.4 km (11.4 mi).

• It flows south for 0.5 km (0.31 mi), passing through Cure Lake. Cure Lake is also about 0.5 km (0.31 mi) long and is at an altitude of 728 m (2,388 ft).
• Then it turns east for 3.6 km (2.2 mi) until it reaches some Hydro-Québec power lines.
• For the next 4.7 km (2.9 mi), it flows northeast. It runs along the west side of a forest road and passes southeast of a small area called "Les Jardins."
• It continues northeast for 1.1 km (0.68 mi) to a forest road bridge.
• After that, it flows northeast for 3.4 km (2.1 mi), going southeast of Lac au Plongeon, to another forest road bridge.
• It then travels northeast for 2.8 km (1.7 mi) until it reaches a bend in the river.
• Finally, it goes southeast for 2.3 km (1.4 mi), getting closer to the bottom of the Mountain at Meniche, before another bend.

Lower River Journey

The second part of the river's journey is about 9.5 km (5.9 mi) long.

• It flows north for 1.9 km (1.2 mi) until it meets a small stream coming from the west.
• For 4.5 km (2.8 mi), it winds its way north. Along this path, it collects water from McLeod Lake and other small lakes.
• The last 3.1 km (1.9 mi) of the river's course involves several turns. It first hooks east, then north, then west, and finally north again. In this last section, the river drops about 100 m (330 ft) in elevation before reaching its mouth.

The Rivière Noire Sud-Ouest ends its journey by flowing into the south shore of the Noire River in Mont-Élie. This meeting point is located:

• About 13.9 km (8.6 mi) east of where the Noire River meets the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• About 30.6 km (19.0 mi) south of the Saguenay River.

What's in the Area?

The main rivers and areas around the Black River are:

• North: The Noire River, Petit Saguenay River, and Saguenay River.
• East: The Noire River and the St. Lawrence River.
• South: The Port au Persil River, Port au Saumon River, Comporté River, Malbaie River, and Jacob River.
• West: American Creek, Castors Creek, Malbaie River, and Snigole River.

The River's Name

The name "Rivière Noire Sud-Ouest" comes from the Noire River, which it flows into. "Noire" means "Black" in French, and "Sud-Ouest" means "Southwest."

The name "rivière Noire Sud-Ouest" was officially recognized on December 5, 1968. This was done by the Commission de toponymie du Quebec, which is in charge of naming places in Quebec.