The Matapedia River (french: Rivière Matapédia) is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
in the
Matapedia Valley
The Matapedia Valley (French: ''vallée de la Matapédia'') was formed by the Chic-Choc Mountains of eastern Québec. Its name is derived from the river that traverses the valley, as well as the lake that lies in its center. It is situated in ...
in the province of
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. It runs on from
Matapedia Lake down to the village of
Matapédia where it empties into the left bank of
Restigouche River
The Restigouche River (french: Rivière Ristigouche) is a river that flows across the northwestern part of the province of New Brunswick and the southeastern part of Quebec.
The river flows in a northeasterly direction from its source in the App ...
on the provincial border of
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
.
This freshwater course forms a natural border between the administrative regions of
Bas-Saint-Laurent
The Bas-Saint-Laurent (Lower Saint-Lawrence), is an administrative region of Quebec located along the south shore of the lower Saint Lawrence River in Quebec. The river widens at this place, later becoming a bay that discharges into the Atlanti ...
and
Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine. The river is a North South divide in the
Notre Dame Mountains
The Notre Dame Mountains are a portion of the Appalachian Mountains, extending from the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec to the Green Mountains of Vermont.
The range runs from northeast to southwest, forming the southern edge of the St. Lawrence Rive ...
that characterize the relief of the Gaspé Peninsula. The Matapedia River basin drains an area of about . Matapedia River is often called the '' Salmon Capital ''.
From the South side of
Matapedia Lake and going to the South, the
route 132 along the river goes on its entire length by the East bank.
The
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States.
CN i ...
passes South of
Matapedia Lake continues on the West bank of the river in
Causapscal where the bridge at South of the village made the railway cross on the East bank.
The track then continues South on ; then passes again in the West Bank via the railway bridge located at North of the confluence of the creek Doyle.
The railway then rest on the West bank up to the railway bridge at the confluence of the .
From there, the last railway segment passes through the Eastern shore, up to the confluence of the Matapedia River.
Course
Matapedia Lake becomes Matapedia River at
Amqui, where it is a
meander
A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank ( cut bank) and deposits sediments on an inner, convex bank ...
river for a distance of approximately . It widens into an elongated lake 1 kilometre wide and long at
Lac-au-Saumon before narrowing back to a river below the dam in the village of
Causapscal.
There, it joins with a major tributary, the
Causapscal River
The Causapscal River () is a waterway of located in the Matapedia Valley, in La Matapédia Regional County Municipality, in administrative regions of Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, in Quebec, Canada. It is a tributary to t ...
, forming a pool that is renowned for its
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlantic salmon are ...
.
From there, the river continues on until the
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
border, where it empties into the
Restigouche River
The Restigouche River (french: Rivière Ristigouche) is a river that flows across the northwestern part of the province of New Brunswick and the southeastern part of Quebec.
The river flows in a northeasterly direction from its source in the App ...
.
The
Lake Matapedia
Lake Matapedia is a body of water in the Matapedia Valley, located in the unorganized territory of Lac-Matapédia, in Sayabec, in Val-Brillant, in La Matapédia Regional County Municipality, in administrative region of Bas-Saint-Laurent, in Quebec ...
(length: ; height: ) is the head of water of the Matapedia River. This water plan is located in the municipality
Matapedia Lake, in
Notre Dame Mountains
The Notre Dame Mountains are a portion of the Appalachian Mountains, extending from the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec to the Green Mountains of Vermont.
The range runs from northeast to southwest, forming the southern edge of the St. Lawrence Rive ...
. Its mouth is located in the Southeast to the height of a covered bridge.
The mouth of the
Lake Matapedia
Lake Matapedia is a body of water in the Matapedia Valley, located in the unorganized territory of Lac-Matapédia, in Sayabec, in Val-Brillant, in La Matapédia Regional County Municipality, in administrative region of Bas-Saint-Laurent, in Quebec ...
is located at:
* Northwest from the confluence of the Matapedia River;
* Southeast of South Coastal
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
, image = Baie de la Tour.jpg
, alt =
, caption = Gulf of St. Lawrence from Anticosti National Park, Quebec
, image_bathymetry = Golfe Saint-Laurent Depths fr.svg
, alt_bathymetry = Bathymetry ...
;
* South of the bridge
route 132 that spans on the
Matane River
The Matane River is a river flowing in La Matanie Regional County Municipality, in administrative region of Bas-Saint-Laurent, on the Gaspé Peninsula, in the province of Quebec, Canada, which empties into the Saint Lawrence River at the city of ...
.
From the mouth of the
Matapedia Lake, Matapedia River flows over as follow:
Higher Courses of the river(segment of )
* to the Southeast, up to the bridge of the city of
Amqui of
route 195;
* to the Southeast, up to the highway bridge;
* to the Southeast, with a detour to the Northeast to the Northwest shore of
Salmon Lake (Matapédia);
* to the Southeast, crossing the Salmon Lake (Matapédia) on its full length;
* to the Southeast, to the confluence of the
Causapscal River
The Causapscal River () is a waterway of located in the Matapedia Valley, in La Matapédia Regional County Municipality, in administrative regions of Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, in Quebec, Canada. It is a tributary to t ...
(from the Northeast) which is located on the South side of the village of
Causapscal.
Lower course of the river (segment of )
* to the South, up to the highway bridge;
* to the South, up to the highway bridge from the village of
Sainte-Florence;
* Southward up to the boundary of the
Assemetquagan (township);
* to the south in Assemetquagan (township), up to the highway bridge from the village of
Routhierville;
* Southward, up to the confluence of the Milnikek River (from the West);
* to the Southeast, up to the limit of the
Restigouche (township) (East side of the Matapedia River);
* to the South, up to the confluence of the
Assemetquagan River and the boundary of the
Matapedia (township);
* to the South, up to the confluence of the Rivière du Moulin (Matapedia River) (from the West);
* to the Southeast, up to the confluence of the Clark Creek (from the North);
* to the Southeast, up to the bridge of the village of
Saint-Alexis-de-Matapédia;
* to the Southeast, up to the confluence of the river
The confluence of the Matapedia River flows on the north bank of the
Restigouche River
The Restigouche River (french: Rivière Ristigouche) is a river that flows across the northwestern part of the province of New Brunswick and the southeastern part of Quebec.
The river flows in a northeasterly direction from its source in the App ...
. This confluence is located at:
* West of the bridge in
Campbellton, New Brunswick
Campbellton is a city in Restigouche County, New Brunswick, Canada.
Situated on the south bank of the Restigouche River opposite Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec, Campbellton was officially incorporated in 1889 and achieved city status in 1958.
Fores ...
, at the confluence of the
Restigouche River
The Restigouche River (french: Rivière Ristigouche) is a river that flows across the northwestern part of the province of New Brunswick and the southeastern part of Quebec.
The river flows in a northeasterly direction from its source in the App ...
;
* Northeast of the confluence of the
Patapédia River
The Patapédia River (French: ''Rivière Patapédia'') is a tributary of the Restigouche River in Northwest New Brunswick and Southeast Quebec, in Canada.
The course of river in Quebec (upper segment) has its beginnings the Matapédia Valley in ...
.
Etymology
Its name may derive from the
Mi'kmaq
The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the northe ...
word ''matapegiag'', meaning "river junction", from the parts ''mata'' (junction) and ''pegiag'' (river), referring to the
Matapédia River
The Matapedia River (french: Rivière Matapédia) is a river in the Matapedia Valley in the province of Quebec, Canada. It runs on from Matapedia Lake down to the village of Matapédia where it empties into the left bank of Restigouche River on ...
that crosses the town just before its confluence with the
Restigouche River
The Restigouche River (french: Rivière Ristigouche) is a river that flows across the northwestern part of the province of New Brunswick and the southeastern part of Quebec.
The river flows in a northeasterly direction from its source in the App ...
. Another source from the late nineteenth century indicates that the
Mi'kmaq
The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the northe ...
named the area ''Magabegeak'' which means "roughly flowing". It has also been spelled many different ways over time such as ''Matapediach'', ''Madapeguia', Matapeguia', Matapediac,'' ''Matakpediack,''
''Madapeguia,''
''Metapedia'', or ''Matapediac''.
History
During the river's most productive and fertile years (generally considered to be between 1890 and 1960), it was a destination for the wealthy and famous from around the world, including
Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany
Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, (Leopold George Duncan Albert; 7 April 185328 March 1884) was the eighth child and youngest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Leopold was later created Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow. ...
and
Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll
Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, (Louisa Caroline Alberta; 18 March 1848 – 3 December 1939) was the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
In her public life, she was a strong proponent of the arts and highe ...
, American presidents
Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
and
Carter
Carter(s), or Carter's, Tha Carter, or The Carter(s), may refer to:
Geography United States
* Carter, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Carter, Mississippi, an unincorporated community
* Carter, Montana, a census-designated place
* Carter ...
, British royalty, and numerous Hollywood stars.
Economy
The Matapedia is a world-renowned Atlantic salmon fishing river and was given the title "The Fishing Capital of the World" due to the abundance of large, healthy, bright salmon. The Atlantic salmon is mainly a fly fishing only, "
catch and release
Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing where after capture, often a fast measurement and weighing of the fish is performed, followed by posed photography as proof of the catch, and then the fish are unhooked and returned ...
" species; and salmon fishing in this area is highly regulated by the Province of Quebec, with special daily permits and licenses required. It is recommended to inquire in the village of Matapedia for information on permits and guides. Public waters are available to anglers in the upper portions of the river. Limited-access salmon fishing, generally with outfitters or guides to the most productive salmon pools is made available to the public via a special annual lottery. There are still many private fishing camps on the banks of the lower river, such as Cold Springs, Glen Emma, Runnymeade Lodge, Restigouche Salmon Club and the Tobique, most of them owned by businessmen and large corporations.
Municipalities on watercourse
Matapédia River crosses the territory of these Quebec municipalities:
*
Amqui (taking his source in
Matapédia Lake)
*
Lac-au-Saumon (where the river crosses
lac au Saumon (Matapédia))
*
Causapscal
*
Sainte-Florence
*
Routhierville
*
Saint-Alexis-de-Matapédia
*
Matapédia (where the river empties in Restigouche River)
List of salmon pools
The river exceeded its target for salmon management in 2018, and in July 2018 the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks announced that in August anglers could keep their catch of one large salmon or longer in the
Gros Mécatina,
Napetipi,
Saint-Paul, Vieux Fort and Matapedia rivers.
From downstream to upstream, from the
Restigouche River
The Restigouche River (french: Rivière Ristigouche) is a river that flows across the northwestern part of the province of New Brunswick and the southeastern part of Quebec.
The river flows in a northeasterly direction from its source in the App ...
to
Lac au Saumon (Matapédia).
Area 1:
* Lower Lawlor: also called simply Lawlor. His name has existed since at least 1978 and is in honour of Jack Lawlor and his family who lived before the pit.
* Du Pont
* Delaney: this name which is existing at least since 1982, is in honour of the Delaney family which includes Jim Delaney, who was a guard at Restigouche Salmon Fishing Club.
* The Islands: this name is existing since at least 1982 because the salmon pit is located in the middle of three islands.
* Duncan Hole: This name is used since at least 1978. The English term ''Hole'' means that the pit has a significant depth.
* Haley's: Haley also called in French. This name has been used since at least 1982 and is in honor of the Haley family.
* Lawlor's Rock: Rock literally Lawlor. His name is from the time of Bard fishing camp in the years 1940 and is in honor of the family of Jack Lawlor who lived on the Matapedia River.
* Cheuter's
* Pot Hole: this name existed since at least 1982. The English term ''jar'' means that the pit is small.
* Ryan's: Ryan is a French patronym. This name has been used since at least 1978 and is due to the fact that the pit is located just upstream of the Ryan Creek.
* Home
* Railroad: literally rail, this existing name exist since at least 1978 due to the presence of a railway bridge over the river at this point.
* Lower Alexander
* Indian Brook
* Gilmour Creek
* Ted's Rock
* Prentise
* Lyons
* Mann's
* Gulch
* Habersham
* McKiel's
* Clark's Brook
* Home Pool
* Bowl
* Three Islands: also known in French "Les Trois Iles". This name existed since at least 1978 and is due to the fact that the pit is in the middle of three islands.
"Three Islands tank"
on Commission de toponymie du Québec
The Commission de toponymie du Québec (English: ''Toponymy Commission of Québec'') is the Government of Québec's public body responsible for cataloging, preserving, making official and publicize Québec's place names and their origins according ...
(Geographical Names Board of Quebec)
* Jim's Rock
* Millstream
* Station
* Foot of Island
* Lower Fraser
* Home Fraser Pool
* Upper Fraser
* Mirror
* Glover's Rock
* Gates of Hell
* Rock Angus
* Assemetquagan
* Railroad
Area 2:
* Falls
* Richard
* The Rocky
* Low Murdock
* Murdock
* Whælock
* Johreon
* Stephenson
* Glen Emma
* Home
* Kennedy
* Pass Island
* Milnikek
* De l'Orme
* Source
* Shed Lower
* Bogan
* The Shed
* Hugis
* Low McNeil's
* McNeil's
* Edgar
Area 3:
* Brown's
* The Dog Island
* Covered Bridge
* At Omer
* Alice
* Fraser
* Caswell
* Rock French
* Cullen
* Rock Lepage
* Nameless
* Low Water
* At Salmon
* Monnick
* Beautiful shoreline
* Pont-Beaurivage
* Florence
* Low Adams
* Upper Adams
* The page
* Pont du Chemin de Fer
* Stream Lajoie
* Grosse Roche
* Low Matalik
* Matalik
* Heppel
* Wyer's
* Blais
* Pont-Laforce
* Douglas
* Bend the Devil
* Wainwright
* Peter's
* On-the-Pierre-à-Luc
* Elbow Alac
* Station
* Home
* Forks
Area 4:
* Princess Louise
* Sir Allan
* Alice
* Simgerly
* Three Islands
* Barrage
File: PecheurSaumonRiviereMatapedia.JPG, Salmon Fisherman
File: RiviereMatapadiaLesfourches.jpg, Salmon Fishermen on the pit "The Forks" (Les Fourches)
In popular culture
The river provided the name and inspiration for the title track of the album '' Matapédia'' by Quebec singer-songwriters Kate and Anna McGarrigle
Kate McGarrigle (February 6, 1946 – January 18, 2010) and Anna McGarrigle (born December 4, 1944) were a duo of Canadian singer-songwriters (and sisters) from Quebec, who performed until Kate McGarrigle's death on January 18, 2010.
Music ...
.
See also
* Sableuse River, a watercourse
* List of rivers of Quebec
This is a list of rivers of Quebec. Quebec has about:
*one million lakes of which 62279 have a toponymic designation (a name), plus 218 artificial lakes;
*15228 watercourses with an official toponymic designation, including 12094 streams and 3134 ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matapedia River
Avignon Regional County Municipality
La Matapédia Regional County Municipality
Rivers of Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
Rivers of Bas-Saint-Laurent