Saint-Jacques River
Encyclopedia
Saint-Jacques River is a river in southwestern Quebec
, Canada
that drains the Saint Lawrence Lowlands
. It flows in a general south to north direction, from the area around Saint-Jacques-le-Mineur (in Les Jardins-de-Napierville
) to its mouth in the Saint Lawrence River
, at the border between the cities of Brossard
and La Prairie
. The total length of the course of this river is about 25 kilometres (16 mi).
through the agricultural and forested lowlands of the Montérégie
region near the Saint Lawrence River. As a result, it flows through and drains areas of sparse and dense population like agricultural towns and suburban cities on the south shore
of the Island of Montreal
.
is the formation of bends and oxbow lakes
along its course. This meandering
course is due to the erosion
of the soil. One notable oxbow lake along this river is located in the territory of Brossard, forming an island (at 45.423666°N 73.46843°W).
in his notes on his 1611 voyage along the Saint Lawrence River
and in the area around La Place Royale on the Island of Montreal:
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...
that drains the Saint Lawrence Lowlands
Saint Lawrence Lowlands
The St. Lawrence Lowlands is an ecoregion of Mixedwood Plains and a physiographic region of Canada and the United States. It is sometimes named the "Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Lowlands", but that name improperly includes the Great Lakes Basin which, while it might drain to the Atlantic Ocean by way...
. It flows in a general south to north direction, from the area around Saint-Jacques-le-Mineur (in Les Jardins-de-Napierville
Les Jardins-de-Napierville Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Les Jardins-de-Napierville is a Regional County Municipality in southwestern Quebec, Canada in the Montérégie region. Founded on January 1, 1982...
) to its mouth in 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...
, at the border between the cities of Brossard
Brossard
Brossard is a suburban area, located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, opposite the island and city of Montreal.Brossard is subdivided into many smaller sections. These sections are characterized by having street names that all begin with the same letter of the alphabet...
and La Prairie
La Prairie, Quebec
La Prairie is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada at the confluence of the Saint-Jacques River and the Saint Lawrence River in the Regional County Municipality of Roussillon...
. The total length of the course of this river is about 25 kilometres (16 mi).
Geography
The Saint-Jacques River meandersMeander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
through the agricultural and forested lowlands of the Montérégie
Montérégie
Montérégie is an administrative region in southwest Québec. It includes the cities of Boucherville, Brossard, Granby, Longueuil, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Hyacinthe, Sorel-Tracy, and Vaudreuil-Dorion....
region near the Saint Lawrence River. As a result, it flows through and drains areas of sparse and dense population like agricultural towns and suburban cities on the south shore
South Shore (Montreal)
The South Shore is the general term for the suburbs of Montreal, Quebec located on the southern shore of the Saint Lawrence River opposite the Island of Montreal. The South Shore is located within the Quebec administrative region of Montérégie....
of the Island of Montreal
Island of Montreal
The Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus by the Rivière des Prairies....
.
Meandering course
A common characteristic of rivers, such as this one, that flow through sedimentary soil of lowlandsLowland
In physical geography, a lowland is any broad expanse of land with a general low level. The term is thus applied to the landward portion of the upward slope from oceanic depths to continental highlands, to a region of depression in the interior of a mountainous region, to a plain of denudation, or...
is the formation of bends and oxbow lakes
Oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off to create a lake. This landform is called an oxbow lake for the distinctive curved shape, named after part of a yoke for oxen. In Australia, an oxbow lake is called a billabong, derived...
along its course. This meandering
Meander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
course is due to the erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
of the soil. One notable oxbow lake along this river is located in the territory of Brossard, forming an island (at 45.423666°N 73.46843°W).
Early 1600's
The Saint-Jacques River was first described by 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....
in his notes on his 1611 voyage along 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...
and in the area around La Place Royale on the Island of Montreal: