| Ashuapmushuan River | |
|---|---|
 Michel Falls at Saint-Félicien | |
 Ashuapmushuan River basin map | |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Lake Ashuapmushuan |
| • location | Lac-Ashuapmushuan Unorg. Terr. |
| • coordinates | 49°13′50″N73°45′15″W / 49.23056°N 73.75417°W /49.23056; -73.75417 |
| • elevation | 360 m (1,180 ft) |
| Mouth | Lac Saint-Jean |
• location | Pointe-Saint-Méthode (Saint-Félicien) |
• coordinates | 48°37′03″N72°20′00″W / 48.61750°N 72.33333°W /48.61750; -72.33333 |
• elevation | 100 m (330 ft) |
| Length | 181 km (112 mi)[1] |
| Basin size | 15,746 km2 (6,080 sq mi)[1] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Chute aux Saumons[2] |
| • average | 298 m3/s (10,500 cu ft/s)[2] |
| • minimum | 75 m3/s (2,600 cu ft/s)March |
| • maximum | 1,050 m3/s (37,000 cu ft/s)May |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left |
|
| • right |
|
TheAshuapmushuan River is a river in theSaguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of the Canadian provinces ofQuebec. It starts at the outlet ofLake Ashuapmushuan, and flows first in a north-easterly direction for about 30 kilometres (19 mi) whereafter it continues south-east toSaint-Félicien. There it drains intoLac Saint-Jean of which it is the third largest tributary after thePeribonka andMistassini Rivers. The river is 181 kilometres (112 mi) long but its source is 266 kilometres (165 mi) from its mouth.[3]
Typical median summer flow is between 200 and 300 cubic metres per second (7,100 and 10,600 cu ft/s), whereas during spring run-off, the median flow is 1,050 cubic metres per second (37,000 cu ft/s), but the river could swell anywhere from 400 to 2,400 cubic metres per second (14,000 to 85,000 cu ft/s). Lowest flow conditions occur in March with a median flow of 75 cubic metres per second (2,600 cu ft/s) and a minimum of 54 cubic metres per second (1,900 cu ft/s) to a maximum of 120 cubic metres per second (4,200 cu ft/s).[2]
The Ashuapmushuan River forms the northern boundary of theAshuapmushuan Wildlife Reserve for most of its length. As a wild undeveloped river, and accessible fromQuebec Route 167 close toLake Ashuapmushuan, it is a popular destination forcanoe camping.
A new 276.6-square-kilometre (106.8 mi2) aquatic reserve is being considered that would protect 126 kilometres (78 mi) of the Ashuapmushuan River, including its floodplain and valley slopes. The reserve prohibits logging, mining, and hydro-electric development, while protecting critical landlocked salmon habitats, biodiversity, and sites of archaeological interest.[1]
The name Ashuapmushuan, which was not officially adopted until 1982, is anInnu word meaning "place where one lies in wait for moose".[4]
The river was however first calledNecouba byLouis Jolliet in 1679. This name was also used byJean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin andGuillaume Delisle in 1686 and 1703 respectively. But in 1732 surveyor Normandin considered this an error, who referred to theNecoubeau as a tributary to Lake Ashuapmushuan that was called Lake Chomonchouane by Laure on his maps of 1731 and 1732. Therefore, Normandin renamed the river toChomontchouane. In 1917, theCommission de géographie officially adopted the modernized spelling ofChamouchouane.[4]
The Ashuapmushuan basin is part of the Central Laurentians in the natural region of the Lake Manouane Depression. The river is enclosed in narrow valleys for a large part of its course, with powerful rapids and a dozen waterfalls, of which the most impressive are the Chaudière Falls.[1]
From the mouth ofAshuapmushuan Lake, the course of the Ashuapmushuan river flows over 130.6 km (81.2 mi), with a drop of 268 m (879 ft), according to the following segments:
Upper course of the Ashuapmushuan river (segment of 45.2 km (28.1 mi); difference in height of 59 m (194 ft))
Intermediate course of the Ashuapmushuan river (upstream of the Chef river) (segment of 42.8 km (26.6 mi); difference in height of 50 m (160 ft))
Intermediate course of the Ashuapmushuan river (upstream of the Chigoubiche river) (segment of 50 km (31 mi); drop in height of 91 m (299 ft))
Lower Ashuapmushuan River (segment of 37.6 km (23.4 mi); difference in height of 68 m (223 ft))
The river finally flows intoLac Saint-Jean a few kilometers downstream from Saint-Félicien, nearSaint-Prime. The river finally flows intoLac Saint-Jean a few kilometers downstream from Saint-Félicien, nearSaint-Prime. From the mouth of the Ashuapmushuan river, the current crossesLac Saint-Jean east on 41.1 km (25.5 mi) (its full length), follows the course of theSaguenay River via the Petite Décharge on 172.3 km (107.1 mi) east toTadoussac where it merges with theEstuary of Saint Lawrence.[5]
Municipal territories crossed by the river
Starting from the upstream (Ashuapmushuan Lake), the course of the Ashuapmushuan river descends, crossing the following municipal territories:
| Left bank | Right Bank |
|---|---|
| Lac-Ashuapmushuan | Lac-Ashuapmushuan |
| La Doré | Rivière-Mistassini |
| Saint-Félicien | Saint-Thomas-Didyme |
| Saint-Prime | Normandin |
| Saint-Félicien |
From the confluence of theDu Chef River and theSaint-Félicien limit, the course of the Ashuapmushuan river turns out to be the limit between theMaria-Chapdelaine Regional County Municipality (side north of the river) andLe Domaine-du-Roy Regional County Municipality (south side).
The Ashuapmushuan River Basin is home to several archaeological sites that show that indigenous people occupied the area for thousands of years. European explorers and missionaries came in the 17th century. For instance,Charles Albanel used the river for his voyage toHudson Bay in 1672.[1][4]
In 1685, French fur traders set up a trading post on the eastern shore of Lake Ashuapmushuan that remained almost continuously in operation until the middle of the 19th century. It successively came under control of the Traite de Tadoussac (French period), King's Posts (English period), theNorth West Company (1802), and theHudson's Bay Company (1821). During this period, the river became a major link in the fur trade route fromTadoussac to Hudson Bay since its source is just east ofLake Mistassini on theRupert River. The vestiges of the post are considered some of the most valuable and best preserved relics from the era.[1][4]
After the fur trade, the Ashuapmushuan River was used by logging companies todrive logs downstream.[1]
The Ashuapmushuan River and its tributaries provide spawning grounds and habitats forlandlocked salmon (Salmo salar ouananiche). Newly hatched salmon remain in the river for 2 to 4 years before migrating toLake Saint-Jean where it remains for most of its adult life. Then, at age 4 to 8, it will return to the river to spawn. While the Ashuapmushuan River has significantly contributed to salmon production for the lake, the salmon population has seen a sharp decline in the 1990s. Despite conservation measures, its status remains of concern.[1]
Characteristics extracted from the geographic map, database and instrumentation of the site
Media related toRivière Ashuapmushuan at Wikimedia Commons