Rivière des Martres facts for kids

The Rivière des Martres (which means Marten's River in English) is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows into the Malbaie River from its west side. This river is located in the Capitale-Nationale region.

The Martres River flows through two areas:

• Charlevoix: in the wild area of Lac-Pikauba.
• Charlevoix-Est: in the wild area of Mont-Élie.

A cool fact is that this river runs right through the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park. The upper part of the river valley has a forest road. But the lower part is very mountainous, so there are no roads for cars. People mostly visit this area for fun activities like hiking or fishing.

The river's surface usually freezes from late November to early April. It's generally safe to walk on the ice from early December to late March. The water level changes with the seasons and how much it rains. The biggest flood usually happens in April.

Where is the Martres River?

The Martres River starts at a lake called Lac de la Loutre. This lake is 0.7 kilometres (0.43 mi) long and sits high up at 596 metres (1,955 ft) above sea level. It's surrounded by mountains in a forest area near Lac-Pikauba.

The lake's exit point is to the southwest, about:

• 4.6 kilometres (2.9 mi) east of the upper part of the Malbaie River.
• 12.5 kilometres (7.8 mi) west of where the Martres River ends.

From its source, the Martres River flows for 15.8 kilometres (9.8 mi). It goes down a very steep valley with tall cliffs, dropping 356 metres (1,168 ft) in height.

Here's how the river flows:

• For 5.2 kilometres (3.2 mi), it goes east into a deeper valley. It then curves north and enters the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park for the last 0.8 kilometres (0.50 mi) of this section. It meets the Érables stream here. This stream brings water from several lakes, including Lac des Martres and Lac Malfait.
• Next, for 4.4 kilometres (2.7 mi), it flows southeast. Along the way, it collects water from several small lakes and streams.
• Then, for 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi), it goes southeast to the border between two regional county municipalities. Here, it turns south and meets the water from Lac Jean.
• For 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi), it first goes south, then bends east. It collects water from two more lakes.
• Finally, for 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi), it flows southeast, making a slight curve south before reaching its end.

The Martres River ends by flowing into the west bank of the Malbaie River. This spot is also inside the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park.

This meeting point is located:

• 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) northeast of a mountain peak.
• 34.6 kilometres (21.5 mi) northwest of the town center of La Malbaie.

From where the Martres River joins it, the Malbaie River continues for 53.8 kilometres (33.4 mi). It drops 236 metres (774 ft) in height before flowing into the St. Lawrence River at La Malbaie.

What's in a Name?

The name "Rivière des Martres" has been used since at least the 1920s. It refers to the American marten, which is a small animal related to weasels. Martens were once common here, and their fur was very valuable.

However, since the middle of the 20th century, these animals have become rarer in this area. This is partly because of a lot of tree cutting and an increase in the acidity of the lakes.

The name "Rivière des Martres" was officially recognized on December 5, 1968, by the Quebec Place Names Commission.

Related Articles

• Charlevoix-Est, a regional county municipality (MRC)
• Lac-Pikauba, a wild territory
• Mont-Élie, a wild territory
• Laurentides Wildlife Reserve
• Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park
• Malbaie River
• St. Lawrence River
• List of rivers of Quebec