Montmorency River
Encyclopedia
The Montmorency River is a river in the Capitale-Nationale
region of Quebec, Canada. It drains into the Saint Lawrence River
, about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) downstream from Quebec City
. It is especially known for the impressive Montmorency Falls
near its mouth.
It has an average flow of 35.6 m³/s. Typical average summer flow is about 25 m³/s, whereas during spring run-off, the river could swell anywhere from 130 to 650 m³/s. Above 770 m³/s is considered an exceptional flood condition, and the Montmorency experienced a record flow of 1100 m³/s in November 1966.
of the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve. Reaching the northern part of the municipality of Château-Richer, it flows between high rocky cliffs that in some places are more than 600 metres (1,968.5 ft) high. Thereafter, it passes through the municipalities of Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval
, Beauport, and Boischatel
, where the course of the river is characterized by the presence of numerous rapids before plunging 83 metres (272.3 ft) over the Montmorency Falls.
The river's watershed basin is sparsely populated, 92% of it is forested and dotted with 424 lakes. The largest lake, with an area of 7.53 square kilometres (2.9 sq mi), is Snow Lake (Lac des Neiges) which is the source of Neiges River, Montmorency's largest tributary. Urban and agricultural land makes up only 2% and 1% of the basin respectively, and is mostly confined to a small section in the far south of the Saint Lawrence lowlands.
The municipalities and unorganized territories that cover the Montmorency basin are:
visited the falls at the mouth of the river and named it le grand saut de Montmorency ("the great falls of Montmorency") in honour of Charles de Montmorency
(1537-1612), to whom Champlain had dedicated his explorations. The name of the falls came to be applied to the whole river, as the 1641 map by Jean Bourdon
showed it as "Saut de Montmorency".
French colonization along the Montmorency River initially occurred at the mouth and falls only. The town of Boischatel was settled circa 1664.
In 1759, the Montmorency River formed a major obstacle to English General James Wolfe
that prevented him from invading Quebec City
from the east and subsequently forced him to scale the cliffs west of the city and battle the French on the Plains of Abraham
. Remnants of an earthen fort built by Wolfe can still be found on the east side of the falls.
In the 19th century, colonization and logging of the interior really took off, and settlers came to the Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval area in 1830. The river was used for log driving
and its shores became industrialized when a hydro-electric dam and sawmill were built at the top and foot of the Montmorency Falls respectively. After the logging period ended, textile industry developed at the mouth of the river.
In 1992, the area surrounding the falls and mouth of the river was made into a park and developed for tourism with new viewing platforms, stairs, pedestrian bridge, aerial tram, restaurant, and visitor's centre.
There are 48 dams in all on the Montmorency River and its tributaries. Of these, 14 are used to regulate water flow, five to provide drinking water, and only one is used exclusively for hydro-electric power generation. The Hydro-Québec power station at the Montmorency Falls is no longer in operation, but not far upstream is the Marches-Naturelles Hydro-electric Power Station. It has an installed capacity of 4.16 MW.
All municipalities along its course rely on the Montmorency or tributaries for its drinking water supply. Only Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval treats its waste waters before pumping it back into the Montmorency. Boischatel and Beauport put their waste water into the Saint Lawrence River. The municipalities of L’Ange-Gardien, Château-Richer, Lac-Beauport, Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury do not impact the water quality of the Montmorency since their population centres lie outside the rivers basin, and therefore the water quality is very good.
A total of 76 bridges cross the Montmorency River. Of these, only 3 are public road bridges: Quebec Route 40, Avenue Royale between Beauport and Boischatel, and one at Enchanteresse Island.
, lake trout
, Arctic char
, and especially brook trout
. Other species include the Longnose Sucker
, White Sucker
, Slimy sculpin
, and Pearl dace
.
There are 2 species of reptiles: Common Garter Snake
and Redbelly Snake
. Also there are 8 species of amphibians: American toad
, Wood Frog
, Green frog
, Spring Peeper
, Red Back Salamander
, Dusky Salamander
, Northern two-lined salamander
, and Eastern newt
.
Capitale-Nationale
Capitale-Nationale is one of 17 administrative regions of Quebec, Canada. Quebec City, Quebec's centre of government, is located in this region. It has a land area of 18,638.7 km2...
region of Quebec, Canada. It drains into the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
, about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) downstream from Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. It is especially known for the impressive Montmorency Falls
Montmorency Falls
The Montmorency Falls are a large waterfall on the Montmorency River in Quebec, Canada. The falls are located on the boundary between the borough of Beauport, Quebec City, and Boischatel, about 12 km from the heart of old Quebec City...
near its mouth.
It has an average flow of 35.6 m³/s. Typical average summer flow is about 25 m³/s, whereas during spring run-off, the river could swell anywhere from 130 to 650 m³/s. Above 770 m³/s is considered an exceptional flood condition, and the Montmorency experienced a record flow of 1100 m³/s in November 1966.
Geography
The Montmorency River flows from Lake Montmorency in a southerly direction through the undeveloped Canadian ShieldCanadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
of the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve. Reaching the northern part of the municipality of Château-Richer, it flows between high rocky cliffs that in some places are more than 600 metres (1,968.5 ft) high. Thereafter, it passes through the municipalities of Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval
Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval, Quebec
Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval is a town in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada, located along the Montmorency River.-Demographics:Population trend:* Population in 2006: 3790 * Population in 2001: 3383...
, Beauport, and Boischatel
Boischatel, Quebec
Boischatel is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada. Michel Guimond, current whip of the Bloc Québécois, first started his political career here as a city councillor. The town was originally called Saint-Jean-de-Boischatel....
, where the course of the river is characterized by the presence of numerous rapids before plunging 83 metres (272.3 ft) over the Montmorency Falls.
The river's watershed basin is sparsely populated, 92% of it is forested and dotted with 424 lakes. The largest lake, with an area of 7.53 square kilometres (2.9 sq mi), is Snow Lake (Lac des Neiges) which is the source of Neiges River, Montmorency's largest tributary. Urban and agricultural land makes up only 2% and 1% of the basin respectively, and is mostly confined to a small section in the far south of the Saint Lawrence lowlands.
The municipalities and unorganized territories that cover the Montmorency basin are:
| Municipality | Area within basin (km²) | Proportion of basin (%) | Population within basin | Proportion of basin (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boischatel Boischatel, Quebec Boischatel is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada. Michel Guimond, current whip of the Bloc Québécois, first started his political career here as a city councillor. The town was originally called Saint-Jean-de-Boischatel.... |
16.96 | 1.47 | 3508 | 12.47 |
| Chateau-Richer Château-Richer, Quebec Château-Richer is a small town situated in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada. Located on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River east of Quebec City, Château-Richer is the seat for the Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality.... |
108.33 | 9.42 | 1541 | 5.06 |
| L'Ange-Gardien L'Ange-Gardien, Capitale-Nationale, Quebec L'Ange-Gardien is a municipality in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada. It is part of the La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality.... |
28.31 | 2.46 | 1574 | 5.17 |
| Lac-Beauport Lac-Beauport, Quebec Lac-Beauport is a little town in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada, located on the eponymous Lake Beauport. It has a population of about 6010 people, and lies about 25 kilometers north from downtown Quebec City.... |
6.43 | 0.56 | 583 | 1.91 |
| Lac-Jacques-Cartier Lac-Jacques-Cartier, Quebec Lac-Jacques-Cartier is a large unorganized territory in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada, in the La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, making up more than 85% of this regional county... |
822.09 | 71.50 | 0 | 0 |
| Lac-Pikauba Lac-Pikauba, Quebec Lac-Pikauba is an unorganized territory in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada. It is a large, unpopulated, undeveloped territory that makes up two-thirds of the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality.... |
2.46 | 0.21 | 0 | 0 |
| Quebec City Quebec City Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest... |
22.16 | 1.93 | 19,213 | 63.07 |
| Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval, Quebec Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval is a town in the Capitale-Nationale region of Quebec, Canada, located along the Montmorency River.-Demographics:Population trend:* Population in 2006: 3790 * Population in 2001: 3383... |
110.59 | 9.62 | 3492 | 11.46 |
| Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury, Quebec Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury is a united township in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in the regional county municipality of La Jacques-Cartier north of Quebec City... |
32.44 | 2.82 | 262 | 0.85 |
| Totals | 1149.77 | 100 | 30,173 | 100 |
Tributaries
The larger tributaries of the Montmorency River are (downstream default sorting order):| Name | Length (km) |
Size of sub-basin (km²) |
Left or right tributary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noire | 24.5 | 68.3 | Left |
| des Neiges | 36.6 | 372.8 | Left |
| de la Décharge/Smith | 15.5 | 63.9 | Left |
| de l'Île | 11.0 | 81.8 | Right |
| aux Pins | -- | -- | Right |
| Ferrée | 16.8 | -- | Left |
History
In 1608, Samuel de ChamplainSamuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
visited the falls at the mouth of the river and named it le grand saut de Montmorency ("the great falls of Montmorency") in honour of Charles de Montmorency
Duke of Montmorency
The title of Duke of Montmorency was created several times for members of the Montmorency family, who were lords of Montmorency, near Paris.The first creation was in 1551 for Anne of Montmorency, Constable of France...
(1537-1612), to whom Champlain had dedicated his explorations. The name of the falls came to be applied to the whole river, as the 1641 map by Jean Bourdon
Jean Bourdon
Jean Bourdon was the first engineer-in-chief and land-surveyor in the colony of New France, and the first attorney-general of the Conseil Superieur....
showed it as "Saut de Montmorency".
French colonization along the Montmorency River initially occurred at the mouth and falls only. The town of Boischatel was settled circa 1664.
In 1759, the Montmorency River formed a major obstacle to English General James Wolfe
James Wolfe
Major General James P. Wolfe was a British Army officer, known for his training reforms but remembered chiefly for his victory over the French in Canada...
that prevented him from invading Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
from the east and subsequently forced him to scale the cliffs west of the city and battle the French on the Plains of Abraham
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War...
. Remnants of an earthen fort built by Wolfe can still be found on the east side of the falls.
In the 19th century, colonization and logging of the interior really took off, and settlers came to the Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval area in 1830. The river was used for log driving
Log driving
Log driving is a means of log transport which makes use of a river's current to move floating tree trunks downstream to sawmills and pulp mills.It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America...
and its shores became industrialized when a hydro-electric dam and sawmill were built at the top and foot of the Montmorency Falls respectively. After the logging period ended, textile industry developed at the mouth of the river.
In 1992, the area surrounding the falls and mouth of the river was made into a park and developed for tourism with new viewing platforms, stairs, pedestrian bridge, aerial tram, restaurant, and visitor's centre.
Development and use
All municipalities along its course rely on the Montmorency or tributaries for its drinking water supply. Only Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval treats its waste waters before pumping it back into the Montmorency. Boischatel and Beauport put their waste water into the Saint Lawrence River. The municipalities of L’Ange-Gardien, Château-Richer, Lac-Beauport, Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury do not impact the water quality of the Montmorency since their population centres lie outside the rivers basin, and therefore the water quality is very good.
A total of 76 bridges cross the Montmorency River. Of these, only 3 are public road bridges: Quebec Route 40, Avenue Royale between Beauport and Boischatel, and one at Enchanteresse Island.
Fauna
The 4 most dominant fish species within the Montmorency basin are the rainbow troutRainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, lake trout
Lake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
, Arctic char
Arctic char
Arctic char or Arctic charr is both a freshwater and saltwater fish in the Salmonidae family, native to Arctic, sub-Arctic and alpine lakes and coastal waters. No other freshwater fish is found as far north. It is the only species of fish in Lake Hazen, on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic...
, and especially brook trout
Brook trout
The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
. Other species include the Longnose Sucker
Longnose sucker
The longnose sucker, Catostomus catostomus, is a freshwater species of fish inhabiting cold, clear waters in North America from northern USA to the top of the continent. In addition, it is one of two species of sucker to inhabit Asia, specifically the rivers of eastern Siberia...
, White Sucker
White Sucker
The White Sucker is a bottom-feeding freshwater fish inhabiting North America from Labrador in the north to Georgia and New Mexico in the south. It is a long, round-bodied fish with a dark green, grey, copper, brown, or black back and sides and a light underbelly. When fullgrown, it is between 12...
, Slimy sculpin
Slimy Sculpin
The slimy sculpin, Cottus cognatus, is a freshwater species of fish that inhabits cool, rocky streams, rivers and lakes throughout northern North America and eastern Siberia. The slimy sculpin is found in freshwater and sometimes brackish water in areas with rocky or gravel type bottoms...
, and Pearl dace
Margariscus
Margariscus is a genus of cyprinid fishes found in North America. There are currently two recognized species in this genus.-Species:* Margariscus margarita * Margariscus nachtriebi...
.
There are 2 species of reptiles: Common Garter Snake
Common Garter Snake
The Common Garter Snake is a snake indigenous to North America. Most garter snakes have a pattern of yellow stripes on a brown or green background and their average length is about , maximum about .-Subspecies:...
and Redbelly Snake
Storeria occipitomaculata
The redbelly snake is a species of snake found in North America. The following subspecies are known:*Florida redbelly snake - Storeria occipitomaculata obscura Trapido, 1944...
. Also there are 8 species of amphibians: American toad
American toad
The American Toad is a common species of toad found throughout the eastern United States and Canada. It is divided into three subspecies—the Eastern American Toad , the Dwarf American Toad , and the rare Hudson Bay Toad...
, Wood Frog
Wood Frog
The Wood Frog has a broad distribution over North America, extending from the southern Appalachians to the boreal forest with several notable disjunct populations including lowland eastern North Carolina...
, Green frog
Green frog
The Green Frog is a species of frog native to the eastern half of the United States and Canada. There are two subspecies—the Bronze Frog and the Northern Green Frog.-Description:...
, Spring Peeper
Spring Peeper
The Spring Peeper is a small chorus frog widespread throughout the eastern USA and Canada.-Subspecies:There are two subspecies of the Spring Peeper, the Northern and the Southern Spring Peeper . The Northern is similar to the Southern except for a strong dark marking on the Southern frog's belly...
, Red Back Salamander
Red Back Salamander
The red back salamander is a small, hardy woodland salamander. It inhabits wooded slopes in Eastern North America; west to Missouri; south to North Carolina; and north from southern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces in Canada to Minnesota...
, Dusky Salamander
Dusky Salamander
The Dusky Salamander is an amphibian in the lungless salamander family. The species is also sometimes called the Northern Dusky Salamander by those acknowledging that populations in the southern United States form a separate species, called the Southern Dusky Salamander...
, Northern two-lined salamander
Northern Two-lined Salamander
The Northern two-lined salamander is a species of salamander in the Plethodontidae family.It is found in Canada and the United States....
, and Eastern newt
Eastern Newt
The Eastern Newt or Red-spotted Newt is a common salamander of eastern North America. Eastern newts dwell in wet forests with small lakes or ponds. They can coexist in an aquatic environment with fish, however, their skin secretes a poisonous substance when the newt is threatened or injured...
.