Chaudière River facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chaudière
Chutes-de-la-Chaudière
Chaudiere River basin
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Physical characteristics
Main source	Lake Mégantic Lac-Mégantic, Estrie 45°34′20″N 70°53′00″W / 45.57222°N 70.88333°W / 45.57222; -70.88333
River mouth	Saint Lawrence River Lévis, Chaudière-Appalaches 46°44′34″N 71°16′43″W / 46.74278°N 71.27861°W / 46.74278; -71.27861
Length	185 km (115 mi)
Basin features
Basin size	6,682 km2 (2,580 sq mi)

The Chaudière River (French for "Cauldron" or "Boiler"; Abenaki Kikonteku) is a 185-kilometre-long (115 mi) river with its source near the Town of Lac-Mégantic, in southeast Quebec, Canada. From its source Lake Mégantic in the Estrie region, it runs northwards to flow into the St. Lawrence River opposite Quebec City.

Geography

The river's drainage area is 6,682 square kilometres (2,580 sq mi), initially in the Appalachian Mountains, then in the low-lands of the St. Lawrence, and include 236 lakes covering 62 square kilometres (24 sq mi) and approximately 180,000 inhabitants. Its annual medium flow at the station of Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon is 114 cubic metres per second (4,000 cu ft/s), varying from 11 cubic metres per second (390 cu ft/s) (low water) to 470 cubic metres per second (17,000 cu ft/s) (spring high water), with historical maximum of 1,760 cubic metres per second (62,000 cu ft/s).

Its principal tributaries are:

• Rivière du Loup (not to be confused with Rivière du Loup in the Bas-Saint-Laurent), also known as the Rivière Linière
• Famine River
• Beaurivage River
• Bras Saint-Victor

The river's basin has nearly 50 percent of the faunal richness of Quebec, namely 330 out of 653 vertebrate species known in the province can be found here.

The river, and the 40-metre-high (130 ft) Chaudière Falls which it passes over en route, are popular outdoor recreation areas.

Municipalities crossed

Its course crosses the regional county municipalities (MRC) of:

Left bank of the Chaudière river (from the confluence):

• Lévis ("Saint-Rédempteur" and "Saint-Étienne-de-Lauzon" sectors);
• MRC de la La Nouvelle-Beauce Regional County Municipality in Chaudière-Appalaches: municipalities of Saint-Bernard, Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon, Scott, Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce;
• MRC Robert-Cliche Regional County Municipality in Chaudière-Appalaches: municipalities of Saint-Joseph-des-Érables, Beauceville;
• MRC Beauce-Sartigan, in Chaudière-Appalaches: municipalities of Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Saint-Georges-de-Beauce, Saint-Martin, Saint-Gédéon;
• MRC Le Granit Regional County Municipality in Estrie: municipalities of Saint-Ludger, Sainte-Cécile-de-Whitton, Lac-Mégantic.

Right bank of the Chaudière river (from the confluence):

• Lévis ("Charny" and "Sainte-Hélène-de-Breakeyville" sectors);
• MRC de la La Nouvelle-Beauce Regional County Municipality in Chaudière-Appalaches: municipalities of Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, Vallée-Jonction,
• MRC Robert-Cliche Regional County Municipality in Chaudière-Appalaches: municipality of Beauceville,
• MRC of Beauce-Sartigan in Chaudière-Appalaches: municipalities of Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Saint-Simon-les-Mines, Saint-Georges-de-Beauce, Saint-Martin, Saint-Gédéon,
• MRC Le Granit Regional County Municipality in Estrie: municipalities of Saint-Robert-Bellarmin, Frontenac, Audet, Lac-Mégantic ("Fatima" sector)

History

The Abenaki indigenous people resided close to the Chaudière Falls and named it "Kikonteku", meaning "River of the Fields". On the charts of Samuel de Champlain, it was given the name "Etchemin River" (a name now used for another river whose drainage area borders with that of the Chaudière River). It was called "Rivière du Sault de la Chaudière" for a period of time before it became simply "Rivière Chaudière" towards the end of the 18th century. This name refers to the waterfall close to its mouth.

Its location was strategic for French colonization during the 18th century because the river was a natural link between New France and the British colonies to the south. It was also used by Benedict Arnold at the time of his 1775 expedition in the invasion of Quebec.

In 1823, gold was found along its shores in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.

On 6 July 2013 the Lac-Mégantic derailment caused a major oil spill which contaminated the river at its source at Lac Mégantic. Downstream communities such as Saint-Georges (80 kilometres (50 mi) to the northeast) were forced to obtain potable water from alternate sources and residents asked to limit their water consumption. Floating barriers were installed in an attempt to contain the contamination.

21st century

The Chaudière valley mostly crosses the Beauce area. The river impacts its industries and way of life, particularly during spring run-off, when it frequently overflows into populated areas, in spite of the 160 dams and levees. The river flows through several cities and villages of the area such as Sainte-Marie, Saint-Georges, Beauceville, and Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce.

The river is a popular location for outdoor sports, particularly at Lac-Mégantic and at Parc des Chutes-de-la-Chaudière. Located close to the mouth of the river at Lévis, this park offers cycling and hiking trails, as well as a footbridge suspended above the river which offers a view of the waterfalls.

The falls have been harnessed for hydro-electric power since the beginning of the 20th century. The dam was rebuilt in 1999 on the remains of the old installations, and now consists of a small 24 MW power station.

Description

The Chaudière Valley largely crosses the Quebec region of Beauce. It has shaped its industries and its way of life, particularly in spring when its overflows during snowmelt in inhabited areas are frequent, despite its course regulated by 160 dams and retaining dikes. The river runs through several towns and villages in the region, including Saint-Ludger, Saint-Gédéon-de-Beauce, Saint-Martin, Saint-Georges-de-Beauce, Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Beauceville, Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Vallée-Jonction and Sainte-Marie, Quebec.

The river is a prime site for outdoor activities, particularly near lac Mégantic and Chutes-de-la-Chaudière park. Located near the mouth of the river, in Lévis, this park offers hiking and cycling trails as well as a footbridge suspended over the river, which offers a viewpoint on the fall, 35 metres (115 ft) high. The fall, harnessed from the beginning of XXth for its hydroelectric potential, now has a dam rebuilt in 1999 on the remains of the old installations, which supplies a small hydroelectric plant of 24 megawatts (32,000 hp).

Gallery

• 

  Lac Mégantic, head lake of the Chaudière.

• 

  The Grand Sault, near Saint-Martin.

• 

  The Sartigan dam at Saint-Georges.

• 

  Meander at Scott, Quebec

• 

  The islands near Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon.

• 

  The river in flood.

• 

  The Chaudière Falls.

List of bridges

Sleepers	Photo	Municipality (ies)	Year of construction	Road	Length	Bridge type
Bridge 16179		Lake Mégantic		Frontenac Street		Steel girder bridge
Railway bridge		Lake Mégantic		Central Maine and Quebec Railway		Steel girder bridge
Bridge 18952		Lake Mégantic		Papineau Street		Precast prestressed concrete girder bridge
Bridge		Lake Mégantic		Québec Central Trail
Bridge 10965		Lake Mégantic	2005	Route 161	110.6 metres (363 ft)	Steel girder bridge
Bridge 13899		Lac-Drolet and Audet	1969	Main path	68.4 metres (224 ft)	Precast prestressed concrete girder bridge
Soucy Bridge		Saint-Ludger	1958	Pont Street	61.5 metres (202 ft)	Reinforced concrete girder bridge
Bridge		Saint-Martin	2009	Multifunctional trail		Suspended walkway
Bridge 13967		Saint-Martin	1970	Route 269	132.1 metres (433 ft)	Steel girder bridge
Sartigan dam		Saint-Georges	1967	Barrage-Sartigan road		Concrete-gravity dam
David-Roy Bridge		Saint-Georges	1970	Route 271	184.9 metres (607 ft)	Steel girder bridge
Passerelle de la Seigneurie		Saint-Georges		Cycle path of the Domaine de la Seigneurie		Steel girder walkway
Manac footbridge		Saint-Georges		Cycle path of the Domaine de la Seigneurie		Steel girder walkway
Canam-Boa Franc Gateway		Saint-Georges		Cycle path of the Domaine de la Seigneurie		Steel girder walkway
Bridge 13921		Notre-Dame-des-Pins	1969	30th Street	279.6 metres (917 ft)	Precast prestressed concrete girder bridge
Pont Perrault		Notre-Dame-des-Pins	1929	Cycle lane	150.9 metres (495 ft)	Covered bridge
Desjardins Gateway		Beauceville	2008	Cycle lane	70 metres (230 ft)	Steel lifting gangway
Pont Fortin		Beauceville	1980	Route 108	230.9 metres (758 ft)	Steel box girder bridge
Bridge 00793		Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce and Saint-Joseph-des-Érables	1908	Route 276	138.6 metres (455 ft)	Lower steel deck bridge
Bridge 18298		Vallée-Jonction		Quebec Central Railway		Steel lower deck bridge
Bridge 00814		Vallée-Jonction	1938	Route 112	151.8 metres (498 ft)	Lower steel deck bridge
Bridge 10861		Sainte-Marie	2003	Route 216	164.4 metres (539 ft)	Steel girder bridge
Family Bridge-Beshro		Sainte-Marie	2015	Multifunctional trail	207 metres (679 ft)	Cable-stayed gangway
Scott's Bridge		Scott	1995	Route 171	210.1 metres (689 ft)	Steel girder bridge
Bridge 03994		Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon	1960	Route 218	229.0 metres (751.3 ft)	Steel girder bridge
Bridge 14760		Levi's	1976	Autoroute 73	261.2 metres (857 ft)	Precast prestressed concrete girder bridge
Bridge 14761		Levi's	1975	Autoroute 73	166.6 metres (547 ft)	Precast prestressed concrete girder bridge
Railway bridge		Levi's		Canadian National		Steel girder bridge
Chutes-de-la-Chaudière footbridge		Levi's		Cycle lane	113 metres (371 ft)	Hanging bridge
Bridge 04011S		Levi's	1965	Autoroute 20	164.1 metres (538 ft)	Bridge with upper deck in reinforced concrete
Bridge 04011N		Levi's	1967	Autoroute 20	164.7 metres (540 ft)	Bridge with upper deck in reinforced concrete
Bridge 13887		Levi's	1960	Autoroute 73	309.4 metres (1,015 ft)	Steel girder bridge
Railway bridge		Levi's		Canadian National		Steel girder bridge
Bridge 16928		Levi's	2010	Route 132 and 175	251.0 metres (823.5 ft)	Steel crutch bridge