Rivière aux Outardes Est facts for kids

The Rivière aux Outardes Est is a river that flows into another river called the Rivière aux Outardes. This river is special because it crosses the border between Canada and the United States.

It flows through:

• Clinton County in New York State, USA;
• And through towns like Franklin, Ormstown, and Hinchinbrooke in Quebec, Canada.

In Canada, many roads follow the river. These include the Rivière-aux-Outardes road, Montée de Rockburn, and Gore road. Other roads like Williams road, chemin du rang Dumas, and Montée Sharpe also help people get around the valley.

The river usually freezes from mid-December until the end of March. It's generally safe to walk on the ice from late December to early March. The amount of water in the river changes with the seasons and how much rain or snow falls.

Where the River Starts and Flows

The East Outardes River begins in a small forest lake. This lake is in Clinton County, New York State, just south of the Canada-United States border. The very start of the river is only about 0.2 kilometres (0.12 mi) from the border.

From this small lake, the East Outardes River flows for about 28.7 kilometres (17.8 mi). During its journey, the river drops about 270 metres (890 ft) in height.

The River's Journey

The river's path can be described in several parts:

• It flows 0.2 kilometres (0.12 mi) northwest in Clinton County, New York, until it reaches the Canada-US border.
• Then, it travels 2.1 kilometres (1.3 mi) northwest through Franklin, Quebec. It flows in a fairly straight line here.
• Next, it goes 5.4 kilometres (3.4 mi) west, crossing Covey Hill road. It picks up water from a stream and sometimes forms small curves. This part ends near Route 209 in a small area called Bridgetown.
• The river then flows 5.4 kilometres (3.4 mi) first northwest, then north. It crosses Route 202 and Wilson road. It makes a big curve to the east and two loops to the southwest.
• For 5.8 kilometres (3.6 mi), it flows west. It collects water from two small lakes and crosses chemin du rang Dumas. It then turns north, forming some wide curves, and crosses the road from rang des Botreaux.
• It then flows 2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) southwest. Here, it collects water from five small lakes and another stream. This section ends where Mitchel Creek joins the river. Mitchel Creek starts in New York State.
• Finally, the river flows 7.6 kilometres (4.7 mi) southwest. It crosses Chemin Gore and follows Rockburn's climb. It forms many loops and crosses Chemin de la Rivière-aux-Outardes before reaching its end.

Where the River Ends

The Rivière aux Outardes Est mostly flows through farmland, with some small forests. It eventually flows into the south bank of the Rivière aux Outardes. This meeting point is located:

• About 2.8 kilometres (1.7 mi) southeast of Dewittville village.
• About 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) southwest of where the Rivière aux Outardes meets the Chateauguay River.
• About 6.2 kilometres (3.9 mi) southwest of the center of Ormstown village.

From where the East Outardes River ends, its water then travels 6.4 kilometres (4.0 mi) down the Outardes River. After that, it flows 41.0 kilometres (25.5 mi) along the Châteauguay River. This long journey finally ends when the water reaches the south shore of lake Saint-Louis, which is part of the big Saint Lawrence River.

Name of the River

The name "Rivière aux Outardes Est" was officially recognized on December 5, 1968. This was done by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is a group that names places in Quebec.