Ashuapmushuan River

Ashuapmushuan River
Michel Falls at Saint-Félicien
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
Source	Lake Ashuapmushuan
- location	Lac-Ashuapmushuan Unorg. Terr.
- elevation	360 m (1,181 ft)
- coordinates	49°13′50″N 73°45′15″W / 49.23056°N 73.75417°W / 49.23056; -73.75417
Mouth	Lac Saint-Jean
- location	Pointe-Saint-Méthode (Saint-Félicien)
- elevation	100 m (328 ft)
- coordinates	48°37′03″N 72°20′00″W / 48.61750°N 72.33333°W / 48.61750; -72.33333Coordinates: 48°37′03″N 72°20′00″W / 48.61750°N 72.33333°W / 48.61750; -72.33333
Length	181 km (112 mi)
Basin	15,746 km2 (6,080 sq mi)
Discharge	for Chute aux Saumons
- average	298 m3/s (10,524 cu ft/s)
- max	1,050 m3/s (37,080 cu ft/s) May
- min	75 m3/s (2,649 cu ft/s) March

The Ashuapmushuan River is a river in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of the Canadian provinces of Quebec. It starts at the outlet of Lake Ashuapmushuan, and flows first in a north-easterly direction for about 30 kilometres (19 mi) whereafter it continues south-east to Saint-Félicien. There it drains into Lake Saint-Jean of which it is the third largest tributary after the Peribonka and Mistassini Rivers. The river is 181 kilometres (112 mi) long but its source is 266 kilometres (165 mi) from its mouth.

Typical median summer flow is between 200 and 300 cubic metres per second (7,100 and 10,600 cu ft/s), whereas during spring run-off, the median flow is 1,050 cubic metres per second (37,000 cu ft/s), but the river could swell anywhere from 400 to 2,400 cubic metres per second (14,000 to 85,000 cu ft/s). Lowest flow conditions occur in March with a median flow of 75 cubic metres per second (2,600 cu ft/s) and a minimum of 54 cubic metres per second (1,900 cu ft/s) to a maximum of 120 cubic metres per second (4,200 cu ft/s).

The Ashuapmushuan River forms the northern boundary of the Ashuapmushuan Wildlife Reserve for most of its length. As a wild undeveloped river, and accessible from Quebec Route 167 close to Lake Ashuapmushuan, it is a popular destination for canoe camping.

A new 276.6-square-kilometre (106.8 sq mi) aquatic reserve is being considered that would protect 126 kilometres (78 mi) of the Ashuapmushuan River, including its floodplain and valley slopes. The reserve prohibits logging, mining, and hydro-electric development, while protecting critical landlocked salmon habitats, biodiversity, and sites of archaeological interest.

The name Ashuapmushuan, which was not officially adopted until 1982, is an Innu word meaning "place where one lies in wait for moose".

The river was however first called Necouba by Louis Jolliet in 1679. This name was also used by Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin and Guillaume Delisle in 1686 and 1703 respectively. But in 1732 surveyor Normandin considered this an error, who referred to the Necoubeau as a tributary to Lake Ashuapmushuan that was called Lake Chomonchouane by Laure on his maps of 1731 and 1732. Therefore Normandin renamed the river to Chomontchouane. In 1917, the Commission de géographie officially adopted the modernized spelling of Chamouchouane.