Rivière à l'Île facts for kids

The Rivière à l'Île (which means river to the island in English) is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows into the Montmorency River. This river runs through the Capitale-Nationale region.

The Rivière à l'Île passes through different areas. These include:

• The La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, specifically the town of Château-Richer.
• The La Jacques-Cartier Regional County Municipality, which includes Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury and Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval.

The valley around the river is mainly used for forestry. This means cutting down trees for wood. Tourism is also important here. Roads like Rue Saint-Louis and Rue Labranche follow the river.

The river's water level changes with the seasons and how much rain or snow falls. In spring, usually March or April, the river experiences a flood from melting snow. The upper part of the river freezes from late November to early April. The lower part freezes for a slightly shorter time. It is generally safe to walk on the ice from mid-December to late March.

River's Journey

The Rivière à l'Île starts at a lake called Lac de la Dame Deux. This lake is about 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) long and sits high up at 698 metres (2,290 ft) in Château-Richer. A small stream flows into this lake from the northeast. In the 1920s, log drivers used this lake to move cut logs down the river.

The starting point of the river is:

• 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) southeast of a tall peak called "Tour-du-Nord" (1,009 metres (3,310 ft) high). This peak was once used by fire guards.
• 6.0 kilometres (3.7 mi) west of the Montmorency River.
• 13.3 kilometres (8.3 mi) northwest of where the Rivière à l'Île joins the Montmorency River.
• 6.8 kilometres (4.2 mi) east of Route 175, a main road connecting Quebec City to Saguenay.
• 22.1 kilometres (13.7 mi) northwest of the St. Lawrence River.

From Lac de la Dame Deux, the Rivière à l'Île flows for 16.7 kilometres (10.4 mi). It drops about 460 metres (1,510 ft) in height along its path.

The river's journey includes:

• Flowing 2.0 kilometres (1.2 mi) south through a deep valley. It passes three sets of rapids and the Fiset stream joins it.
• Continuing 3.8 kilometres (2.4 mi) south, still in a deep valley with more rapids. The West Arm of the River to the Island joins it from the west.
• Turning southeast for 0.7 kilometres (0.43 mi) to meet the outlet of Lac Thibeault.
• Heading south for 5.3 kilometres (3.3 mi). For a part of this section, it forms the border between Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury and Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval. It also goes around a 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) long island before reaching a road bridge on Rue Pascal.
• Finally, flowing 4.9 kilometres (3.0 mi) southeast through the village of Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval.

The Rivière à l'Île ends about 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) northeast of the center of Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval. From this point, its waters flow into the Montmorency River for 22.4 kilometres (13.9 mi) until they reach the St. Lawrence River.

Why the Name "Rivière à l'Île"?

The main part of this river used to be called "Saint-Adolphe River." The upper part, between Lac de la Dame Deux and the West Arm, was known as "Saint-Adolphe Nord-Est river."

The name "Rivière à l'Île" means "river to the island." This name comes from a piece of land at the river's mouth. This land is bordered by the Rivière à l'Île on the west and the Montmorency River on the east. It is about 0.54 kilometres (0.34 mi) long. In the past, during big floods, this area would become like an island. Today, a residential area called Laval-Nord is built on a flat part of this land.

There is another island in the Rivière à l'Île itself. This island is 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) long and is located downstream from where Lac Thibeault flows in. The channel on the east side of this island has two small dams, which create small reservoirs.

Since December 13, 1996, the name "Rivière à l'Île" also includes a stream to the east. This stream was officially called "Bras du Nord" (North Arm) before. The official name "Rivière à l'Île" was made formal by the Commission de toponymie du Québec on December 13, 1996.