Talayarde River facts for kids

The Talayarde River is a stream that flows into the Sainte-Anne River. It is located in a wild area called Lac-Blanc and also in the town of Saint-Raymond. Both places are in the Portneuf Regional County Municipality in Quebec, Canada.

The valley where the Talayarde River flows has a main forest road, R0300. This road runs north along the east side of the valley. Other smaller roads help people get around for logging and fun outdoor activities.

The main ways people make a living here are through forestry (cutting down trees) and recreational tourism. This means people visit for outdoor fun like hiking or fishing.

The river usually freezes over from early December to late March. It's safest to walk or play on the ice from late December to early March. The amount of water in the river changes with the seasons and how much it rains. A big rise in water, called a spring flood, happens in March or April.

Where is the Talayarde River Located?

The Talayarde River is surrounded by other important water areas. Here are the main ones:

• North side: Sainte-Anne River
• East side: Sainte-Anne River, Talayarde North-East River
• South side: Sainte-Anne River, Verte River
• West side: Bras du Nord, Écartée River

The Talayarde River starts at Talayarde Lake. This lake is about 0.8 kilometers (0.5 miles) long and sits at an elevation of 561 meters (1,841 feet). From the lake, the Talayarde River flows for about 23 kilometers (14 miles). It generally moves south through a forest area. The river drops about 316 meters (1,037 feet) in elevation along its path.

Here's how the river flows:

• It travels about 9.5 kilometers (5.9 miles) south, then turns southeast. It meets the Couat stream, which comes from the northwest.
• Next, it goes about 6.7 kilometers (4.2 miles) southwest, then bends south. It flows through a deep valley and meets water from Lac de la Bibite and Petit lac de la Bibite.
• It then flows about 4.6 kilometers (2.9 miles). It first makes a hook to the east, then south, and then southeast. It goes through a deep valley with many rapids. Here, it meets the Talayarde North-East River, which comes from the north.
• Finally, it flows about 2.2 kilometers (1.4 miles) south. It forms a large "S" shape between the base of a mountain on the west and a flat area on the east. This is where it meets the Sainte-Anne River.

The Talayarde River joins the Sainte-Anne River on its west bank, across from a few small islands. This meeting point is:

• 11.2 kilometers (7.0 miles) upstream from the Verte River.
• 13.1 kilometers (8.1 miles) north of downtown Saint-Raymond.
• 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) north of the village of Lac-Sept-Îles.
• 60.3 kilometers (37.5 miles) northwest of the Saint-Laurent River.

From this point, the current flows about 97.9 kilometers (60.8 miles). It generally moves south and southwest, following the Sainte-Anne River, until it reaches the northwest bank of the St. Lawrence River.

What's in a Name? The History of "Talayarde"

The name "Talayarde" has an interesting history. It first appeared on a map in 1829. A Wendat (Huron) chief named Nicolas Vincent spelled it "Telahiay" for this river.

In the same year, an explorer named John Adams wrote that the Wendats called this part of the Sainte-Anne River "Tilayer." This name came from an old story about an otter being carried away by a bird. The story says the bird's wings marked the snow.

Later, in 1862, a surveyor named Ignace P.-Déry called the river "Talleyarde." Then, in 1888, another surveyor, NJE Lefrançois, used the name we know today: "Rivière Talayarde."

The name "Talayarde River" was officially recognized on December 5, 1968. This happened at the Place Names Bank of the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is like a special office that keeps track of all the names of places in Quebec.