Jacques-Cartier River
| Jacques-Cartier River | |
| Rivière Jacques-Cartier | |
 The Jacques-Cartier River in the Jacques-Cartier National Park
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| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Capitale-Nationale |
| Source | Jacques-Cartier Lake |
| - location | L'Étape in Lac-Jacques-Cartier unorg. terr. |
| - coordinates | 47°32′10″N 71°13′20″W / 47.53611°N 71.22222°W |
| Mouth | Saint Lawrence River |
| - location | Donnacona |
| - coordinates | 46°40′17″N 71°44′50″W / 46.67139°N 71.74722°WCoordinates: 46°40′17″N 71°44′50″W / 46.67139°N 71.74722°W |
| Length | 161 km (100 mi) |
| Basin | 2,515 km2 (971 sq mi) |
The Jacques-Cartier River is a river in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is 161 km long and its source is Jacques-Cartier Lake in Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, and flows in a predominantly southern direction before ending in the Saint Lawrence River at Donnacona, about 30 km upstream from Quebec City.
It is currently under nomination for Canadian Heritage River status.
The Jacques-Cartier River drains an area of 2515 square kilometres, starting in and flowing for nearly 160 kilometers through the Laurentian mountains in the geological region of Grenville (one of the youngest sections of the Canadian Shield, formed 955 million years ago), then flows through the sedimentary rocks of the St. Lawrence lowlands for approximately 17 kilometers, from the municipality of Pont-Rouge to its mouth.
The area covered by the drainage basin is for the most part undeveloped or protected, especially its source. In fact, 77% of its length is protected by the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve and the Jacques-Cartier National Park where one finds a steep glaciated valley formed during the last glaciation. Nevertheless, about 25000 people live on the shores of this river close to its mouth, where it crosses the regional municipality of Portneuf and the municipalities of Tewkesbury, Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, Shannon, Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, Pont-Rouge and Donnacona.
Important tributaries are:
The reports that according to surveyor John Adams, in 1829, the river was known by the Hurons as Lahdaweoole, meaning “coming from far”. They and the Montagnais used its shores for fishing and trapping. It is estimated that this region has been used by First Nations for over 7000 years. Explorer Samuel de Champlain mentioned this river in 1632 as the "Sturgeon and Salmon River". In 1656, a map of Samson of Abbeville showed "R. J. Quartier" as the river's designation, probably so named according to the popular belief that Jacques Cartier had passed by the river's mouth. This natural highway was used among others by Jesuit missionaries to reach the Lac Saint-Jean area during the 17th century.
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Wikipedia