Rivière aux Iroquois facts for kids

The Rivière aux Iroquois is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows into Lac Saint-Jean. The river passes through the towns of Sainte-Hedwidge and Saint-Prime. It's part of the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region.

Different roads help people get to the river valley. In the upper part, people use roads like Chemin de la Lièvre. In the middle, roads like Chemin du Lac-du-Dix are used. Closer to the end, roads like Route Marcel-Auclair help access the river.

Forestry, which is cutting down trees, is a main activity in the middle part of the valley. Farming is important in the lower part of the valley.

The river usually freezes from early December to late March. However, it's generally safe to walk or travel on the ice from mid-December to mid-March.

River's Journey and Features

The Rivière aux Iroquois starts from a lake called Lac aux Iroquois. This lake is in Sainte-Hedwidge. Lac aux Iroquois is about 1.6 kilometers long and sits 371 meters above sea level. The lake has a unique shape, almost split into two parts by a piece of land.

The mouth of Lac aux Iroquois is:

• 6.4 kilometers west of the Ouiatchouaniche River.
• 15.4 kilometers southwest of the village of Sainte-Hedwidge.
• 28.2 kilometers southwest of where the Iroquois River ends.

From Lac aux Iroquois, the river flows for 48 kilometers. It drops about 270 meters in height along its path.

How the River Flows

• First Part (10.5 km): The river generally flows north. It makes many small turns and collects water from several smaller streams and Lac à la Loutre.
• Second Part (5.4 km): It flows northwest, then turns west. It also collects water from Lac de la Savane.
• Third Part (4.2 km): The river flows north, going around a mountain. Then it curves northeast, reaching the outlet of Lac du Dix.
• Fourth Part (8.2 km): It first goes east, then north. It has many small turns and goes through several areas with rapids. This section ends where it meets the Deuxième Bras des Iroquois.
• Fifth Part (14.6 km): The river flows north, starting in a deep forest valley. It then zigzags into a flatter area and then into farmland. It makes many turns here.
• Final Part (5.1 km): It flows east, winding a lot through farmland. It crosses Quebec Route 169 (which is Rue Principale in Saint-Prime). It also collects water from the Perron stream and crosses a railway line before reaching its end.

Where the River Ends

The Rivière aux Iroquois flows into the southwest shore of Lac Saint-Jean. This meeting point is between the villages of Saint-Prime and Pointe-Bleue.

This spot is:

• 7.8 kilometers west of Pointe-Bleue.
• 1.0 kilometer north of Saint-Prime.
• 12.6 kilometers northwest of downtown Roberval.

From the mouth of the Iroquois River, the water travels across Lac Saint-Jean for 42.5 kilometers. Then it follows the Saguenay River for 172.3 kilometers east to Tadoussac. There, it joins the Estuary of Saint Lawrence, which leads to the Atlantic Ocean.

The total area of land that drains water into the Iroquois River is 204.6 square kilometers.

What's in a Name?

The name "Rivière aux Iroquois" is connected to the lake where it starts, Lac aux Iroquois. It's also linked to a main branch of the river called "Second arm to the Iroquois."

The name "Rivière aux Iroquois" became official on December 5, 1968. This was done by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is like a place-naming committee in Quebec.

More to Explore

• Le Domaine-du-Roy Regional County Municipality
• Sainte-Hedwidge, a town
• Saint-Prime, a town
• Lac Saint-Jean, a large lake
• Deuxième Bras des Iroquois, a stream
• Saguenay River, a major river
• List of rivers of Saguenay basin