Rivière du Loup (Bas-Saint-Laurent)

Coordinates: 47°51′07″N 69°33′16″W / 47.8519°N 69.5544°W / 47.8519; -69.5544
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Rivière du Loup
(English: Wolf River)
Gorge of the Riviere du Loup at the city of Rivière-du-Loup
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
Physical characteristics
SourceSaint-Pierre Lake
 • elevation479 m (1,572 ft)
MouthSaint Lawrence River
 • location
Rivière-du-Loup
 • coordinates
47°51′07″N 69°33′16″W / 47.8519°N 69.5544°W / 47.8519; -69.5544
 • elevation
0 ft (0 m)
Length101.3 km (62.9 mi)

The Rivière du Loup is a river in eastern Quebec, Canada, which empties on the south shore of Saint Lawrence River at the city of Rivière-du-Loup, which is part of the regional county municipality (RCM) Rivière-du-Loup, in the administrative region of Bas-Saint-Laurent.

There is a hydroelectric plant on the river near the city.

Geography[edit]

The Rivière du Loup (English: "river of the Wolf") has its source in Saint-Pierre Lake (Lac Saint-Pierre) in the geographic township of Painchaud in the Kamouraska Regional County Municipality, which is in the Notre Dame Mountains and the Zone d'exploitation contrôlée (English: Controlled Harvesting Zone) of Zec Chapais.[1] This lake is located 36.5 km (23 miles) east of the southeast coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 20 km (12 miles) southeast of the village center of Saint-Bruno-of-Kamouraska and 20 km (12 miles) south-west of the village center of Saint-Athanase.

The Rivière du Loup flows to the north over 101.3 kilometers (63 miles), coursing through the regional county municipalities of:

At its mouth, the Rivière du Loup pours over a long ledge (at low tide) in the "Cayes to Carrier Bay" which is bordered on the north side by the Pointe-de-Rivière-du-Loup. From Malin Rock, this edge advances towards the southwest in the St. Lawrence River over a length of 1.6 km (1 mile), including the end where a marina is fitted.

The river's mouth is located in front of the Île aux Lièvres (English: Island of Hare) and the Île Blanche (English: White Island), located 10 km (6 miles) offshore and part of the municipality of Saint-André-de-Kamouraska. The Channel "Pot à l'Eau-de-Vie" (English: "Pot of stream water") separates the island and the southeast coast of St. Lawrence River. The Estuary Islands Wildlife Reserve (Réserve faunique des Îles de l'Estuaire) was built on a set of islands between the Île aux Lièvres and the channel Pot à l'Eau-de-Vie.

Toponymy[edit]

The river's name means Wolf River in French and may have come from a native tribe known as "Les Loups" or from the many seals, known in French as loup marin, once found at the river's mouth.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Banque de noms de lieux du Québec: Reference number 66892". toponymie.gouv.qc.ca (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec.

External links[edit]