Rivière la Retenue facts for kids

The Rivière la Retenue (which means Retained River in English) is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows into the Ferrée River. The river passes through the towns of Château-Richer and L'Ange-Gardien.

The river valley has roads that help people get around. A special forest road helps with logging and maintaining power lines. The upper part of the river is harder to reach because it's in the mountains. Logging is a big activity here, and people also visit for fun, like tourism.

The river usually freezes from early December to late March. It's safest to walk on the ice from mid-December to mid-March. The higher parts of the river freeze a bit earlier because of the altitude. The amount of water in the river changes with the seasons and how much it rains or snows. The river usually floods in March or April when the snow melts.

Where Does the River Start?

The Retained River begins in a small forest lake. This lake is about 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) long and sits high up at 568 metres (1,864 ft) above sea level. It's surrounded by three mountain peaks in the town of Château-Richer.

The river's source is:

• 4.3 kilometres (2.7 mi) east of the Montmorency River.
• 8.9 kilometres (5.5 mi) north of where the Retained River joins the Ferrée River.
• 9.7 kilometres (6.0 mi) north-west of the Saint-Laurent River.

The River's Journey

From its source, the Retained River flows for about 13.8 kilometres (8.6 mi). It drops about 378 metres (1,240 ft) in height along its path.

Here's a simpler look at its journey:

• It flows south for about 1.0 kilometre (0.62 mi) in Château-Richer, dropping 78 metres (256 ft).
• It continues south for 2.0 kilometres (1.2 mi), picking up water from a small lake.
• The river then flows for 4.0 kilometres (2.5 mi), first southeast, then southwest. It goes around a mountain that is 479 metres (1,572 ft) high.
• Next, it travels about 2.9 kilometres (1.8 mi) in an S-shape, then turns west. It picks up water from another lake.
• For the next 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi), it flows west, then turns south, and finally southwest. It crosses a lake called Lac la Retenue, which is 0.7 kilometres (0.43 mi) long. This lake gets water from the Northwest Arm.
• Finally, it flows for 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi), crossing a road and making a few turns, until it reaches its mouth.

The Retained River joins the Ferrée River in a forest area. From there, the water flows into the Montmorency River, and then into the Saint-Laurent River.

What's in a Name?

This river used to be called "Laval River." Its current name, "Rivière la Retenue," is linked to "Lac la Retenue" (Retained Lake). This lake has a dam at its end, which helps "retain" the water.

The name "Rivière la Retenue" became official on December 13, 1996, thanks to the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is like a naming committee for places in Quebec.

More to Explore

• La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality
• Château-Richer, a municipality
• L'Ange-Gardien, Capitale-Nationale, Quebec, a municipality
• Ferrée River
• Montmorency River
• List of rivers of Quebec