Rivière des Mares (Gouffre River tributary) facts for kids

The Rivière des Mares is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows into the Rivière du Gouffre. This river is located entirely within the town of Baie-Saint-Paul. It is part of the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality.

The main road near the river is Route 138. This road follows the west side of the Rivière du Gouffre. Another road, chemin de Louisbourg, also runs along part of the valley. The upper parts of the valley are mountainous. This means there are not many roads there.

The main activities in this area are farming and forestry. The river usually freezes over from early December to early April. It is safest to walk on the ice from mid-December to late March. The amount of water in the river changes with the seasons. It also changes with how much rain falls. The biggest flood usually happens in April.

Where the River Starts and Flows

The Rivière des Mares begins at a lake called Lac de la Rivière des Mares. This lake is about 0.9 kilometres (0.56 mi) long. It is 507 metres (1,663 ft) above sea level. High mountains surround this lake. One mountain peak reaches 774 metres (2,539 ft) to the southwest. Another peak is 969 metres (3,179 ft) to the northwest.

The River's Journey

From its source, the Rivière des Mares flows for 13.8 kilometres (8.6 mi). It drops about 488 metres (1,601 ft) in height. Here's how it flows:

• It flows 2.0 kilometres (1.2 mi) southeast, down from the mountains. It meets a stream called La Grosse Décharge Ouest.
• Then, it goes 0.8 kilometres (0.50 mi) southeast to the Pied du Mont stream.
• Next, it flows 3.4 kilometres (2.1 mi) northeast. It collects another stream and makes a big curve. This curve goes around a mountain. It also passes near Mountain to Roch. Then it reaches the Étangs stream.
• It continues 2.8 kilometres (1.7 mi) southeast through a deep valley. Here it meets the Louisbourg stream.
• The river then flows 2.9 kilometres (1.8 mi) southeast. The valley becomes less steep. It crosses Route 138 near the end of this part. It then meets the Acul stream.
• Finally, it flows 1.9 kilometres (1.2 mi) east, then north. It winds through farms and small forests. It then reaches its mouth.

Where the River Ends

The Rivière des Mares flows into the Rivière du Gouffre. This happens in Baie-Saint-Paul. The mouth of the river is about 0.7 kilometres (0.43 mi) west of Route 138. It is also about 4.2 kilometres (2.6 mi) northwest of downtown Baie-Saint-Paul. From here, the water flows for 7.8 kilometres (4.8 mi) along the Rivière du Gouffre. The Gouffre River then flows into the St. Lawrence River.

What's in a Name?

This river has had many names over time. Some of them include Rivière à la Truite, Ruisseau des Marées, and Rivière Lamarre. It was also called Rivière des Mars and Rivière de la Mare. The name "Rivière des Mares" might come from an old area called "Domaine de la Mare à la Truite." This area was named after a small pond in the valley. The name "Rivière de la Mare" was used a long time ago. It was mentioned in 1716 when the lands of Baie-Saint-Paul were being marked out.

The official name, "Rivière des Mares," was made formal on March 25, 1997. This was done by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which names places in Quebec.

Related Places

• Charlevoix Regional County Municipality
• Baie-Saint-Paul, a city
• Ruisseau du Pied du Mont
• La Grosse Décharge Ouest
• Rivière du Gouffre
• St. Lawrence River
• List of rivers of Quebec