La Grosse Décharge Ouest
La Grosse Décharge Ouest is a tributary of the west bank of the upper part of the rivière des Mares, flowing entirely in the town of Baie-Saint-Paul, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province from Quebec, to Canada.
| La Grosse Décharge Ouest | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Capitale-Nationale |
| Regional County Municipality | Charlevoix Regional County Municipality |
| City | Baie-Saint-Paul |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Côté Lake |
| • location | Baie-Saint-Paul |
| • coordinates | 47.510907°N 70.70631°W |
| • elevation | 629 m (2,064 ft) |
| Mouth | Rivière des Mares (Gouffre River tributary) |
• location | Baie-Saint-Paul |
• coordinates | 47.48283°N 70.64163°E |
• elevation | 350 m (1,150 ft) |
| Length | 7.7 km (4.8 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | (from the mouth) Brook, La Grosse Décharge Est |
| • right | (from the mouth) Six streams. |
This valley is mainly served by the Seminary path which runs along the south side of this watercourse. Forestry is the main economic activity in this valley; recreational tourism, second.
The surface of La Grosse Décharge Ouest is generally frozen from the beginning of December until the beginning of April; however, safe circulation on the ice is generally done from mid-December to the end of March. The water level of the river varies with the seasons and the precipitation; the spring flood generally occurs in April.
Geography
The Grosse Décharge Ouest rises at the mouth of Côté lake (length: 0.17 kilometres (0.11 mi); altitude: 620 metres (2,030 ft)). This lake is enclosed between the mountains whose summit reaches 761 metres (2,497 ft) at 2.1 kilometres (1.3 mi) to the northeast; another peak reaches 972 metres (3,189 ft) at 1.74 kilometres (1.08 mi) to the southwest. The mouth of this lake is located at:
- 4.6 kilometres (2.9 mi) north of Lac Croche;
- 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) north-east of the course of the Sainte-Anne River;
- 14.7 kilometres (9.1 mi) west of the mouth of the rivière des Mares (confluence with the rivière du Gouffre);
- 17.0 kilometres (10.6 mi) west of downtown Baie-Saint-Paul.[1]
From its source, the course of La Grosse Décharge Ouest descends from the mountain on 7.7 kilometres (4.8 mi) with a drop of 279 metres (915 ft), according to the following segments:
- 1.0 kilometre (0.62 mi) towards the south-east down the mountain in a deep valley, to a stream (coming from the south-west);
- 1.1 kilometres (0.68 mi) to the east in a deep valley up to a bend in the river;
- 4.7 kilometres (2.9 mi) to the east in a deep valley, collecting two streams (each coming from the southwest), to La Grosse Décharge Est (coming from the northwest);
- 0.9 kilometres (0.56 mi) north-east in a deep valley, to its mouth.[1]
The Grosse Décharge Ouest pours into a bend on the west bank of the Mares river in Baie-Saint-Paul. This mouth is located at:
- 2.0 kilometres (1.2 mi) north-east of the forest road;
- 4.0 kilometres (2.5 mi) north-west of the village center of Saint-Placide-Nord
- 10.8 kilometres (6.7 mi) west of downtown Baie-Saint-Paul;
- 12.5 kilometres (7.8 mi) north-west of the confluence of the Gouffre river and the Saint-Laurent river.[1]
From the mouth of La Grosse Décharge Ouest, the current descends on 11.8 kilometres (7.3 mi) the course of the Mares river; then on 7.8 kilometres (4.8 mi) with a drop of 15 metres (49 ft) following the course of the Rivière du Gouffre which flows into Baie-Saint-Paul in the Saint-Laurent river.[1]
Toponymy
This toponymic designation appears on the map "Domaine forestier du Séminaire de Québec", 1955-01.
The toponym "La Grosse Décharge Ouest" was formalized on March 25, 1997 at the Place Names Bank of the Commission de toponymie du Québec.[2]