Rivière aux eaux mortes (Mékinac) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rivière aux eaux mortes |
|
|---|---|
| Country | Canada |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Lac-Lapeyrère, unorganized territory 1,191 ft (363 m) |
| River mouth | Rivière du milieu (Mékinac) |
The Rivière aux eaux mortes (which means "River of dead waters") is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows completely through beautiful forest areas.
This river runs through two main parts of Quebec:
- The upper part is in a wild area called Lac-Lapeyrère. This is inside the Portneuf Wildlife Reserve, in a region known as the Capitale-Nationale.
- The lower part flows through another wild area, Lac-Masketsi. This is in the Mékinac Regional County Municipality in the Mauricie region. Much of this area is managed by the Zec Tawachiche.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name "Rivière aux eaux mortes" describes how the river flows. In some parts, the water moves very slowly, almost like it's standing still. This happens because the land is quite flat in those sections, especially from a lake called "lac à la digue" all the way to where it joins the Rivière du Milieu.
The official name "Rivière aux eaux mortes (Mékinac)" was recorded on December 5, 1968. This was done by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is like a board that names places in Quebec.
River's Journey
The "Rivière aux eaux mortes" starts high up in the mountains of the Portneuf Wildlife Reserve. Its water comes from several lakes, including "lac à l'Orignal" (Moose Lake), Desrochers, Turner, Aumond, Liserons, Pilote, "aux oreilles" (Ears Lake), "du Mâle", and "du coin" (Corner Lake).
Water from these lakes flows into Lake Desrochers. From there, the "Rivière aux eaux mortes" flows for about 2.1 kilometers (1.3 miles). It then crosses Lake Rocheleau, which is about 0.9 kilometers (0.56 miles) long. After leaving Lake Rocheleau, the river continues for another 5.2 kilometers (3.2 miles) until it reaches Lake Dussault.
Feeding Lake Dussault
Two other important streams also feed into Lake Dussault:
- St-Malo Brook: This stream starts at Lake St-Malo and flows through Lake Forgeron and Lake Viking on its way.
- Lanctôt Stream: This stream begins at Lake Lanctôt, right on the border of two areas called Pothier and Lapeyrère.
Flowing Downstream
After the dam at Lake Dussault, the river first flows southwest for about 2.2 kilometers (1.4 miles). It then passes through "lac de la digue" (Lake of the Dam), which is also 2.2 kilometers long. From the dam of this lake, the river flows south for about 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) until it reaches Lake Bony.
From Lake Bony, the river turns southwest for 3.6 kilometers (2.2 miles) to reach "Lac à l'Ours" (Bear Lake). After Bear Lake, it flows for one kilometer (0.6 miles) to the northwest. Then, it turns back to the southwest, forming a large area of water held back by a dam. This dam is located downstream from a small village called Doheney, which is the only village the river passes through. This large water area looks like an upside-down question mark!
In total, the river flows for about 33 kilometers (20.5 miles) from the Lake Dussault dam to where it ends.
Where the River Ends
The "Rivière aux eaux mortes" flows into the eastern side of the Rivière du Milieu. This meeting point is about 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) south of a Canadian National train bridge. It's also about 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) south of where the Saint-Arnaud Creek joins.
River Dams
There are four dams along the "Rivière aux eaux mortes". These dams are managed by the "Centre d'expertise hydrique du Québec" (Quebec Water Expertise Center). Here's a quick look at them:
| Dam Dussault | Dam of "Lac à la digue" | "Barrage à l'Ours" (Bear Dam) | Barrage de la Rivière-aux-eaux-mortes (Dam of the Rivière aux eaux mortes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longitudes | -72⁰ 28' | -72⁰ 28' | -72⁰ 32' | -72⁰ 35' |
| Latitudes | 47⁰ 10' | 47⁰ 09' | 47⁰ 04' | 47⁰ 05' |
| Territory | Lac-Lapeyrère (TNO), Portneuf Wildlife Reserve | Lac-Lapeyrère (TNO), Portneuf Wildlife Reserve | Lac-Masketsi, Quebec (TNO), Zec Tawachiche | Lac-Masketsi (TNO), Zec Tawachiche |
| Usage | recreational and resort | Wildlife | recreational and resort | recreational, resort and fauna |
| Dam height | 3.9 m | 6.9 m | 4.7 m | 4.1 m |
| Height retainer | 0.8 m | 5.7 m | 3.3 m | 1.9 m |
| Type of Dam | Concrete Gravity | Wood cabinets filled with stones | Free rockfill weir | Concrete gravity |
| Building year | 1980 | 1980 | 2011 | 1986 |
| Area Basin | - | 2 km² | 216 km² | 255 km² |
| Holding Capacity | 60 000 m³ | 489 500 m³ | 3,260,000 m³ | 2,124,300 m³ |
| Length of the book | 60.4 m | 30.7 m | 70 m | 158 m |
| Reservoir area | 8 ha | 17.3 ha | 100 ha | 219 ha |
| Length of discharge | - | 2200 m | - | 9400 m |
| Average width | - | 78.8 m | - | 233 m |
| Owner | Centre d'expertise hydrique du Québec (Centre of water expertise of Quebec) | Centre of water expertise of Quebec | Ducks Unlimited Canada | Centre of water expertise of Québec |
The mouth of the "Rivière aux eaux mortes" is located at:
- 2.9 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the village of Rivière-du-Milieu.
- 4.9 kilometers (3 miles) from the "Dam of rivière aux eaux mortes".
- 8.7 kilometers (5.4 miles) from the "Dam à l'Ours" (Bear Dam).
- 10.1 kilometers (6.3 miles) in a straight line, or 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) by water, from the mouth of "Lac à l'Ours".
- 10.7 kilometers (6.6 miles) from the mouth of "lac Froid" (Cold Lake).
- 13.1 kilometers (8.1 miles) from the "Barrage de la digue" (Dam of "la digue").
- 6.2 kilometers (3.9 miles) from the small community of Doheney.
The Canadian National Railway track runs near the river. It goes between Hervey-Jonction and La Tuque. The railway passes by the eastern shores of Lake Masketsi and "Lac Froid" (Cold Lake). Then, it reaches the western shore of the "Rivière aux eaux mortes" reservoir. The train line goes through the hamlet of Doheney and then the hamlet of Rivière-du-Milieu. Finally, it crosses a long bridge over the Rivière du Milieu. Since 1909, this railway has been very important for developing logging and tourism in the area.
Explore Nature
If you love watching nature, you'll enjoy the "Rivière aux eaux mortes". There's a special wetland area along the river where many waterfowl (birds that live near water) gather. This unique spot also attracts moose and other birds, making it a great place for wildlife viewing.
