Rivière aux Outardes
Encyclopedia
The Rivière aux Outardes or Outardes River is a river in Quebec
, Canada
. The river originates in the Otish Mountains, and flows in a southerly direction for its entire course. It passes through Lake Plétipi
and Burnt Islands Lake (Îles Brûlées), and widens about midway to form the large Outardes 4 Reservoir. It drains into Outardes Bay of the Saint Lawrence River
, about 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) southwest of Baie-Comeau.
At its mouth, the Outardes River widens and flows over a sandbar, making it extremely shallow. There are several islands in Outardes Bay of which the most notable are White Island (île Blanche), a rock of white granite 23 metres (75.5 ft) high, and Mine Island (île de la Mine), a bare red rock reaching 15 metres (49.2 ft) high.
The river was first called Cane or Caen River by Jean Alfonse
in 1544. The name riviere aux Outardes came in use following its appearance on maps by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin
in 1744 and 1764. English maps from the end of the 18th century and early 19th century would show "Bustard River", as a translation of the archaic French word bistarde or oustarde. Today outardes is the Canadian French
word for Canada geese
. The indigenous Innu
called the river Pirebistibit, Peritibistokou, Pletipishtuk, or Piletipîstuk Shipu which means "partridge river".
Among its significant tributaries are:
The river has been developed for hydro-electric power generation as part of the Manic-Outardes Project in the 1960s and 70s. There are 3 power plants:
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The river originates in the Otish Mountains, and flows in a southerly direction for its entire course. It passes through Lake Plétipi
Lake Plétipi
Lake Plétipi is an irregularly shaped lake in central Quebec, Canada. It is fed by and drains into the Rivière aux Outardes. The lake is approximately 60 km WNW of the huge impact crater known as Lake Manicouagan and 80 km from the nearest road...
and Burnt Islands Lake (Îles Brûlées), and widens about midway to form the large Outardes 4 Reservoir. It drains into Outardes Bay of 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 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) southwest of Baie-Comeau.
At its mouth, the Outardes River widens and flows over a sandbar, making it extremely shallow. There are several islands in Outardes Bay of which the most notable are White Island (île Blanche), a rock of white granite 23 metres (75.5 ft) high, and Mine Island (île de la Mine), a bare red rock reaching 15 metres (49.2 ft) high.
The river was first called Cane or Caen River by Jean Alfonse
Jean Alfonse
Jean Fonteneau dit Alfonse de Saintonge was a French navigator, explorer and corsair, prominent in the European age of discovery....
in 1544. The name riviere aux Outardes came in use following its appearance on maps by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin
Jacques-Nicolas Bellin
Jacques Nicolas Bellin was a French hydrographer, geographer, and member of the French intellectual group called the philosophes....
in 1744 and 1764. English maps from the end of the 18th century and early 19th century would show "Bustard River", as a translation of the archaic French word bistarde or oustarde. Today outardes is the Canadian French
Canadian French
Canadian French is an umbrella term referring to the varieties of French spoken in Canada. French is the mother tongue of nearly seven million Canadians, a figure constituting roughly 22% of the national population. At the federal level it has co-official status alongside English...
word for Canada geese
Canada Goose
The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
. The indigenous Innu
Innu
The Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan , which comprises most of the northeastern portions of the provinces of Quebec and some western portions of Labrador...
called the river Pirebistibit, Peritibistokou, Pletipishtuk, or Piletipîstuk Shipu which means "partridge river".
Among its significant tributaries are:
- Silver River (Rivière à l'argent)
- Villéon River
- Long Wood River (Rivière du Bois Long)
- Matonipi River
The river has been developed for hydro-electric power generation as part of the Manic-Outardes Project in the 1960s and 70s. There are 3 power plants:
- Outardes-2Outardes-2Outardes-2 is a hydroelectric power station and dam on the Outardes River southwest of Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada. The power station was commissioned in 1978 and is run-of-the-river....
- near the mouth of the river at Chute-aux-OutardesChute-aux-Outardes, QuebecChute-aux-Outardes is a village in Quebec, Canada, at the mouth of the Outardes River. It is about south-west of Baie-Comeau along Route 138.-Demographics:Population trend:* Population in 2006: 1853... - Outardes-3Outardes-3Outardes-3 is a hydroelectric power station and dam on the Outardes River northwest of Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada. The power station was commissioned in 1969 and is run-of-the-river....
- Outardes-4Outardes-4Outardes-4 is a hydroelectric power station and dam on the Outardes River northwest of Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada. The power station was commissioned in 1969 and is supplied by the Outardes-4 Reservoir which is created by seven additional dams....