Rivière aux Écorces (Pikauba River tributary) facts for kids

The Rivière aux Écorces is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows into the Pikauba River. This river travels through different areas. These include parts of La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, Lac-Saint-Jean-Est Regional County Municipality, and Le Fjord-du-Saguenay Regional County Municipality.

The main way to reach the Rivière aux Écorces valley is by Route 169. Other smaller forest roads are also used. These roads help with logging and fun outdoor activities.

Logging is the most important business here. Tourism, like camping and hiking, is the second most important.

The river usually freezes from late November to early April. It's generally safe to walk or play on the ice from mid-December to late March.

About the Rivière aux Écorces

The Rivière aux Écorces starts high up, about 820 metres (2,690 ft) above sea level. Its source is a lake called "Lac de la Hauteur des Terres". The river then flows through another lake with the same name, Lac aux Écorces.

The river is about 120.3 kilometres (74.8 mi) long. It mostly flows north. Almost all of its journey is within the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve. This is a protected area for nature.

Neighboring Rivers and Lakes

Many other rivers and lakes are close to the Rivière aux Écorces.

• To the north, you'll find the Bras des Angers and the Pikauba River.
• To the east are the Sawine River, Morin River, and rivière aux Écorces North-East.
• To the south, there's the Métabetchouane River and Moïse River.
• To the west, you can find the Moncouche River and Rivière aux Canots.

Where the River Starts

The Rivière aux Écorces begins at the "Lac de la Hauteur des Terres". This lake is 1.1 kilometres (0.68 mi) long and sits at 818 metres (2,684 ft) high. It's in a forest area inside the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve.

The starting point of the river is:

• 2.0 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of a fire lookout tower.
• 19.7 kilometres (12.2 mi) south-west of Route 175.
• 70.7 kilometres (43.9 mi) south-east from where the Rivière aux Écorces meets the Pikauba River.
• 91.4 kilometres (56.8 mi) south-east of Lac Saint-Jean.

The River's Journey

The Rivière aux Écorces flows for 120.3 kilometres (74.8 mi). It drops about 588 metres (1,929 ft) in height along its way. The entire journey is through forest.

Upper Part of the River

The first part of the river is about 36.7 kilometres (22.8 mi) long.

• It flows north, curving east around a mountain. It then goes through Lac de la Valeur.
• It passes through Lake Marceau and then turns west.
• It winds through mountains, heading southwest.
• It collects water from Sept Chutes stream.
• It then flows northwest, meeting the rivière aux Écorces du Milieu.
• This section also collects water from Eugène stream and Lac Beelzebub. It then reaches the Rivière aux Écorces North-East.

Middle Part of the River

This section is about 30.8 kilometres (19.1 mi) long.

• It flows north, making a big S-shape. It collects water from Mater stream.
• It then hooks east, then north, collecting water from Gros-Jos stream and Araignée stream.
• It meets the Trompeuse River.
• The river then flows northwest through marshy areas.
• It crosses Lac aux Écorces, which is 7.1 kilometres (4.4 mi) long.
• Finally, it flows north, meeting the Rivière aux Canots.

Another Middle Part of the River

This section is about 31.0 kilometres (19.3 mi) long.

• It flows north, making a loop to the west, up to Fructus stream.
• It continues north, collecting water from Éclume stream and Raquette stream.
• It flows north again, collecting water from Dufour stream.
• It passes through Rapides Deux Milles and collects water from Paul stream.
• It then flows northwest, then north, collecting water from Lac Currie.
• It crosses Route 169.

Lower Part of the River

The last part of the river is about 21.8 kilometres (13.5 mi) long.

• It flows north, forming a large S-shape.
• It then turns northeast, curving around a mountain. It meets the Morin River.
• Soon after, it meets the Sawine River.
• It flows northeast, then northwest, crossing rapids.
• Finally, it flows north, curving west around another mountain. It passes through more rapids until it reaches its mouth.

Where the River Ends

The Rivière aux Écorces flows into the Pikauba River. This meeting point is:

• 5.7 kilometres (3.5 mi) south-west of where the Pikauba River meets Kenogami Lake.
• 16.1 kilometres (10.0 mi) north-east of Lac de la Belle Rivière.
• 17.1 kilometres (10.6 mi) west of Route 175.
• 32.4 kilometres (20.1 mi) south-east of Lac Saint-Jean.
• 34.4 kilometres (21.4 mi) southwest of Chicoutimi, a part of the city of Saguenay.

From this point, the water flows down the Pikauba River for 35.0 kilometres (21.7 mi). Then it crosses Kenogami Lake for 17.6 kilometres (10.9 mi). After that, it follows the Chicoutimi River for 26.2 kilometres (16.3 mi). Finally, it joins the Saguenay River for 114.6 kilometres (71.2 mi) until it reaches Tadoussac. There, it flows into the Saint Lawrence estuary.

River's Name History

On an old map from 1880 by Eugène Taché, the "Rivière aux Écorces" was only a small part of the river. It was about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) long, near Kenogami Lake. The rest of the river was called "R. Upicauba".

In 1886, a surveyor named J. Maltais made things clearer. He said the river was 80 kilometres (50 mi) long. By the 1950s, the name "Rivière aux Écorces" was used for the whole river. Before that, people sometimes called it "Rivière aux Écorces" or "Upikaubau".

The name "Rivière aux Écorces" was officially recognized on December 5, 1968. This was done by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is like a place names committee.