Chaudière River

The Chaudière River (; French for "Cauldron" or "Boiler"; Abenaki: Kik8ntekw) is a river with its source near the Town of Lac-Mégantic, in southeast Quebec, Canada. From its source Lake Mégantic in the Estrie region, it runs northwards to flow into the St. Lawrence River opposite Quebec City.

Geography The river's drainage area is , initially in the Appalachian Mountains, then in the low-lands of the St. Lawrence. It includes 236 lakes covering and is populated by approximately 180,000 inhabitants. Its annual medium flow at the station of Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon is , varying from (low water) to (spring high water), with historical maximum of .

Its principal tributaries are: Rivière du Loup (not to be confused with Rivière du Loup in the Bas-Saint-Laurent), also known as the Rivière Linière Famine River Beaurivage River Bras Saint-Victor

The river's basin has nearly 50 percent of the faunal richness of Quebec, namely 330 out of 653 vertebrate species known in the province can be found there.

The river, and the Chaudière Falls which it passes over, are popular outdoor recreation areas.

Municipalities crossed

Its course crosses the regional county municipalities (MRC) of:

Left bank of the Chaudière river (from the confluence): Lévis ("Saint-Rédempteur" and "Saint-Étienne-de-Lauzon" sectors); MRC of La Nouvelle-Beauce in Chaudière-Appalaches: municipalities of Saint-Bernard, Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon, Scott, Sainte-Marie; MRC Beauce-Centre in Chaudière-Appalaches: municipalities of Saint-Joseph-des-Érables, Beauceville; MRC Beauce-Sartigan, in Chaudière-Appalaches: municipalities of Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Saint-Georges, Saint-Martin, Saint-Gédéon-de-Beauce; MRC Le Granit in Estrie: municipalities of Saint-Ludger, Sainte-Cécile-de-Whitton, Lac-Mégantic.

Right bank of the Chaudière river (from the confluence): Lévis ("Charny" and "Sainte-Hélène-de-Breakeyville" sectors); MRC of La Nouvelle-Beauce in Chaudière-Appalaches: municipalities of Sainte-Marie, Vallée-Jonction, MRC Beauce-Centre in Chaudière-Appalaches: municipality of Beauceville, MRC of Beauce-Sartigan in Chaudière-Appalaches: municipalities of Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Saint-Simon-les-Mines, Saint-Georges, Saint-Martin, Saint-Gédéon-de-Beauce, MRC Le Granit in Estrie: municipalities of Saint-Robert-Bellarmin, Frontenac, Audet, Lac-Mégantic ("Fatima" sector)

History The Abenaki Nation, whose homeland Ndakinna encompasses the river and Chaudière Falls, call it "Kik8ntekw" or "Kikôntekw", meaning "River of the Fields." On the charts of Samuel de Champlain, it was given the name "Etchemin River" (a name now used for another river whose drainage area borders with that of the Chaudière River). It was called "Rivière du Sault de la Chaudière" for a period of time before it became simply "Rivière Chaudière" towards the end of the 18th century. This name translates as boiler and refers to the waterfall close to its mouth.

Its location was strategic for French colonization during the 18th century, because the river was a natural link between New France and the British colonies to the south. It was also used by Benedict Arnold at the time of his 1775 expedition in the invasion of Quebec.

In 1823, gold was found along its shores in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.Law-West, Don. "Gold", in The Canadian Encyclopedia (Edmonton: Hurtig Publishing, 1988), Volume 2, p.908.

On 6 July 2013 the Lac-Mégantic derailment caused a major oil spill which contaminated the river at its source at Lac Mégantic. Downstream communities such as Saint-Georges ( to the northeast) were forced to obtain potable water from alternate sources and residents asked to limit their water consumption. Floating barriers were installed in an attempt to contain the contamination.

Description The Chaudière Valley largely crosses the Quebec region of Beauce. It has shaped its industries and its way of life, particularly in spring when its overflows during snowmelt in inhabited areas are frequent, despite its course regulated by 160 dams and retaining dikes. The river runs through several towns and villages in the region, including Saint-Ludger, Saint-Gédéon-de-Beauce, Saint-Martin, Saint-Georges, Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Beauceville, Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Vallée-Jonction and Sainte-Marie, Quebec.

The river is a prime site for outdoor activities, particularly near lac Mégantic and Chutes-de-la-Chaudière park. Located near the mouth of the river, in Lévis, this park offers hiking and cycling trails as well as a footbridge suspended over the river, which offers a viewpoint on the fall, high. The fall was harnessed for its hydro-electric potential in 1901, but was destroyed in 1970. The dam was rebuilt in 1999 on the remains of the old installations, and supplies a small hydro-electric plant of .

Gallery

List of bridges Sleepers Photo Municipality (ies) Year of construction Road Length Bridge type Bridge 16179 Lake Mégantic Frontenac Street Steel girder bridge Railway bridge Lake Mégantic Central Maine and Quebec Railway Steel girder bridge Bridge 18952 Lake Mégantic Papineau Street Precast prestressed concrete girder bridge Bridge Lake Mégantic Québec Central Trail Bridge 10965 Lake Mégantic 2005 Route 161 Steel girder bridge Bridge 13899 Lac-Drolet and Audet 1969 Main path Precast prestressed concrete girder bridge Soucy Bridge Saint-Ludger 1958 Pont Street Reinforced concrete girder bridge Bridge Saint-Martin 2009 Multifunctional trail Suspended walkway Bridge 13967 Saint-Martin 1970 Route 269 Steel girder bridge Sartigan dam Saint-Georges 1967 Barrage-Sartigan road Concrete-gravity dam David-Roy Bridge Saint-Georges 1970 Route 271 Steel girder bridge Passerelle de la Seigneurie Saint-Georges Cycle path of the Domaine de la Seigneurie Steel girder walkway Manac footbridge Saint-Georges Cycle path of the Domaine de la Seigneurie Steel girder walkway Canam-Boa Franc Gateway Saint-Georges Cycle path of the Domaine de la Seigneurie Steel girder walkway Bridge 13921 Notre-Dame-des-Pins 1969 30th Street Precast prestressed concrete girder bridge Pont Perrault Notre-Dame-des-Pins 1929 Cycle lane Covered bridge Desjardins Gateway Beauceville 2008 Cycle lane Steel lifting gangway Pont Fortin Beauceville 1980 Route 108 Steel box girder bridge Bridge 00793 Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce and Saint-Joseph-des-Érables 1908 Route 276 Lower steel deck bridge Bridge 18298 Vallée-Jonction Quebec Central Railway Steel lower deck bridge Bridge 00814 Vallée-Jonction 1938 Route 112 Lower steel deck bridge Bridge 10861 Sainte-Marie 2003 Route 216 Steel girder bridge Family Bridge-Beshro Sainte-Marie 2015 Multifunctional trail Cable-stayed gangway Scott's Bridge Scott 1995 Route 171 Steel girder bridge Bridge 03994 Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon 1960 Route 218 Steel girder bridge Bridge 14760 Lévis 1976 Autoroute 73 Precast prestressed concrete girder bridge Bridge 14761 Lévis 1975 Autoroute 73 Precast prestressed concrete girder bridge Railway bridge Lévis Canadian National Steel girder bridge Chutes-de-la-Chaudière footbridge Lévis Cycle lane Suspension bridge Bridge 04011S Lévis 1965 Autoroute 20 Bridge with upper deck in reinforced concrete Bridge 04011N Lévis 1967 Autoroute 20 Bridge with upper deck in reinforced concrete Bridge 13887 Lévis 1960 Autoroute 73 Steel girder bridge Railway bridge Lévis Canadian National Steel girder bridge Bridge 16928 Lévis 2010 Route 132 and 175 Steel crutch bridge

Chaudière River

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