Romaine River
Encyclopedia
The Romaine River is a river in the Côte-Nord
region of the Canadian province of Quebec
. It is 496 kilometres (308.2 mi) long. It is not to be confused with the Olomane River that is 220 kilometres (136.7 mi) to the east and had the same name for a long time.
The Romaine River has its source on the boundary between the Atlantic and Saint Lawrence watersheds, and flows first through a series of lakes, including Long, Marc, Brûlé (Burnt)
, Lavoie, Anderson, and Lozeau. This portion of the river to just past the confluence with Uauahkue Patauan Creek forms the disputed boundary between Quebec and Labrador. Then it flows in a mostly southerly direction until a dozen miles from the coast where it takes a sharp turn to the west, flowing through a series of swampy waterlogged small lakes. The Romaine River drains into the Jacques Cartier Strait
, opposite the Mingan Archipelago
, that is part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
.
The name Romaine, in use since the end of the 19th century, is a French adaptation of the Native American term Ouraman or Ulaman as noted by Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin
in 1685, while Jacques-Nicolas Bellin
wrote Ramane on his map of 1744. It comes from unaman, meaning "vermilion" or "red ochre
". Deposits of this material are found on the banks of the Olomane River.
for hydro-electric
power generation. Construction started in 2009 on a new hydroelectric plant, along with four rock-filled dams and a 150 kilometres (93.2 mi) long access road, that will take 11 years to build at an estimated cost of 6.5 billion. Called "the biggest construction project in Canada", the project will employ an estimated 2000 people between 2012 and 2016, and create some 3.5 billion in economic spinoffs.
The final project will include four new power plants with a total installed capacity of more than 1550 MW and an average annual production of 7.5 TWh per year:
This project is controversial however, as the cost of electricity production will likely be higher than the price at which the electricity will be sold, as shown in a 2010 documentary called "Chercher le courant", by Nicolas Boisclair and Alexis de Gheldère. The film argues that the Romaine project is unnecessary, unprofitable, and ecologically destructive. It is also opposed by the Fondation Rivières.
that swims 52 kilometres (32.3 mi) upstream as far as the Grande Chute. Other fish species are brook trout
(found along the river's entire length), lake trout
(in most lakes), and landlocked salmon (upstream of Grande Chute).
Côte-Nord
Côte-Nord is the second largest administrative region by land area in Quebec, Canada, after Nord-du-Québec...
region of the Canadian province of Quebec
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....
. It is 496 kilometres (308.2 mi) long. It is not to be confused with the Olomane River that is 220 kilometres (136.7 mi) to the east and had the same name for a long time.
The Romaine River has its source on the boundary between the Atlantic and Saint Lawrence watersheds, and flows first through a series of lakes, including Long, Marc, Brûlé (Burnt)
Burnt Lake (Canada)
Burnt Lake is a lake in southern Labrador , Canada, overlapping the border with Quebec....
, Lavoie, Anderson, and Lozeau. This portion of the river to just past the confluence with Uauahkue Patauan Creek forms the disputed boundary between Quebec and Labrador. Then it flows in a mostly southerly direction until a dozen miles from the coast where it takes a sharp turn to the west, flowing through a series of swampy waterlogged small lakes. The Romaine River drains into the Jacques Cartier Strait
Jacques Cartier Strait
The Jacques Cartier Strait is a strait in eastern Quebec, Canada, flowing between Anticosti Island and the Labrador Peninsula. It is one of the two outlets of the Saint Lawrence River into its estuary, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
, opposite the Mingan Archipelago
Mingan Archipelago
The Mingan Archipelago is an archipelago located east of Quebec, Canada. It consists of a chain of about 40 islands.Starting but 124 miles from the end of the road along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River , the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve of Canada spreads about 109 miles...
, that is part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
The Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean...
.
The name Romaine, in use since the end of the 19th century, is a French adaptation of the Native American term Ouraman or Ulaman as noted by Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin
Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin
Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin was born at Saint-Michel de Villebernin, France in 1651. He died in France around 1712. He was a cartographer, a royal hydrographer, and a teacher of navigation. He was also the first official cartographer in Canada....
in 1685, while Jacques-Nicolas Bellin
Jacques-Nicolas Bellin
Jacques Nicolas Bellin was a French hydrographer, geographer, and member of the French intellectual group called the philosophes....
wrote Ramane on his map of 1744. It comes from unaman, meaning "vermilion" or "red ochre
Ochre
Ochre is the term for both a golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color. The pigment can also be used to create a reddish tint known as "red ochre". The more rarely used terms "purple ochre" and "brown ochre" also exist for variant hues...
". Deposits of this material are found on the banks of the Olomane River.
Tributaries
The significant tributaries of the Romaine River are (in upstream order):- Puyjalon River
- Allard River
- South-East Romaine River
- Abbé-Huard River
- Garneau River
- West Garneau River
- Little Romaine River
- Touladis River
- Sauterelles River
- Rivière aux Pêchueurs
Hydroelectric development
The Romaine River is being developed by Hydro-QuébecHydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec....
for hydro-electric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
power generation. Construction started in 2009 on a new hydroelectric plant, along with four rock-filled dams and a 150 kilometres (93.2 mi) long access road, that will take 11 years to build at an estimated cost of 6.5 billion. Called "the biggest construction project in Canada", the project will employ an estimated 2000 people between 2012 and 2016, and create some 3.5 billion in economic spinoffs.
The final project will include four new power plants with a total installed capacity of more than 1550 MW and an average annual production of 7.5 TWh per year:
This project is controversial however, as the cost of electricity production will likely be higher than the price at which the electricity will be sold, as shown in a 2010 documentary called "Chercher le courant", by Nicolas Boisclair and Alexis de Gheldère. The film argues that the Romaine project is unnecessary, unprofitable, and ecologically destructive. It is also opposed by the Fondation Rivières.
| Name | Location (km from mouth) | Design flow (m3/s) | Capacity (MW) | Units | Head (m) | Est. completion year | Reservoir | Reservoir size (km2) | Geographic coord. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romaine-1 | 52.5 | 485 | 260 | 2 | 61 | 2016 | Romaine-1 Reservoir | 12 | 50.3835948°N 63.2603502°W |
| Romaine-2 | 90.4 | 453 | 610 | 2 | 151 | 2014 | Romaine-2 Reservoir | 83 | 50.6245286°N 63.1928015°W |
| Romaine-3 | 158.6 | 372 | 380 | 2 | 116 | 2017 | Romaine-3 Reservoir | 38 | 51.1144073°N 63.4000397°W |
| Romaine-4 | 192.0 | 307 | 250 | 2 | 93 | 2020 | Romaine-4 Reservoir | 140 | 51.3477778°N 63.4866667°W |
Fauna
The Romaine River is home to the Atlantic salmonAtlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
that swims 52 kilometres (32.3 mi) upstream as far as the Grande Chute. Other fish species are 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...
(found along the river's entire length), 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...
(in most lakes), and landlocked salmon (upstream of Grande Chute).