La Grande River
| La Grande River | |
 La Grande River near Radisson, Quebec.
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| Country | Canada |
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| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Jamésie |
| Source | Lac Nichicun |
| - location | Nitchequon |
| - coordinates | 53°12′30″N 70°56′00″W / 53.20833°N 70.93333°W |
| Mouth | James Bay |
| - location | Chisasibi |
| - elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| - coordinates | 53°50′00″N 79°04′00″W / 53.83333°N 79.06667°WCoordinates: 53°50′00″N 79°04′00″W / 53.83333°N 79.06667°W |
| Length | 893 km (555 mi) |
| Basin | 97,600 km2 (37,700 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| - average | 1,690 m3/s (59,680 cu ft/s) |
| - max | 4,450 m3/s (157,150 cu ft/s) |
| - min | 345 m3/s (12,180 cu ft/s) |
 La Grande River original basin in yellow. Diverted basins in orange.
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La Grande River (French: La Grande Rivière, Cree: Chisasibi, both meaning "great river") is a river in northwestern Quebec, Canada, which rises in the highlands of north central Quebec and flows roughly 900 kilometres (560 mi) west to drain into James Bay. It is the second largest river in Quebec, surpassed only by the Saint Lawrence River.
Originally, the La Grande River drained an area of 97,400 square kilometres (37,600 sq mi) and had a mean discharge of 1690 m³/s. Since the 1980s when hydroelectric development diverted the Eastmain and Caniapiscau Rivers into the La Grande, its total catchment area has increased to about 175,000 square kilometres (68,000 sq mi), and its mean discharge increased to more than 3400 m³/s. In November 2009, the Rupert River was also partially diverted, adding another 31,430 square kilometres (12,140 sq mi) to the basin.
At one time, this river was known as the "Fort George River". The Hudson's Bay Company operated a trading post on the river at Big River House from 1803 to 1824. In 1837, a large trading post was established at Fort George on an island at the mouth of the river. In the early 20th century, this trading post became a village as the Crees of the James Bay region abandoned their nomadic way of life and settled nearby. The modern Cree village of Chisasibi, which replaced Fort George in 1980, is situated on the southern shore of the La Grande River, several kilometers to the East.
Significant tributaries of La Grande River include:
The river has been extensively developed as a source of hydroelectric power by Hydro-Québec, starting in 1974. An area of 9,900 square kilometres (3,800 sq mi) was flooded and almost all of the flow of the Eastmain River and a large portion of the Rupert River were diverted into the La Grande watershed. The following generating stations are on the La Grande River and its tributaries in upstream order:
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Wikipedia