List of rivers and water bodies of Montreal Island

The rivers and water bodies of Montreal are few and mostly artificial. Hydrography of the island of Montreal remained intact until approximately XIXth where Montreal will undergo major urban works including the construction of Lachine Canal and the creation of the first major parks of Montreal.

History

Last Ice Age

After the Ice Age, around -13 000 years, Montreal and the Saint Lawrence Lowlands are flooded by the Champlain sea. Within a few centuries, as and when these waters recede, the Mount Royal and its three summits are emerged into islands. With the complete withdrawal of the sea, water is retained in some depression of the island. This is the case among other Beaver Lake, located in the palm of Mount Royal. This will dry gradually to become a fen.[1] He was regrooved artificially in 1938.

Before XIXth

Approximation streams near the fortifications of the city of Montreal in New France

There used to be a complex hydrographic, now destroyed or channeled.[2][3]

Otter Lake (or small lake St. Peter): long by about 4 kilometers and one kilometer wide, marshy lake that was halfway between the Old Montreal and Lachine, south of Quartier Latin, the Saint-Jacques escarpment, and west of the Turcot Interchange. It was backfilled and gradually dried up, particularly with the construction of the Lachine Canal and with the industrialization of the sector. The highway 20 runs through the length and breadth of today in the center.[4]
Saint Pierre River: started in Côte-des-Neiges down to Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and widening formed Lake Otter. It then returns to the river and leads to St. Lawrence River in Nuns' Island.
Little St. Pierre River: created artificially in 1697 under the name of "St. Gabriel canal". This channel connects the Saint-Pierre River (in the east part of Lake Otter) up the Pointe-à-Callière Museum. One part was channeled as qu'égout (William collector) in 1832. The Pointe-à-Callière Museum would make the public place around 2017.[5]
Saint Martin River or Little River: It begins at Mount Royal Cemetery through Outremont, Quebec and the Mile End and Plateau Mont-Royal until La Fontaine Park (including the pond is a remnant). Then it branched off westward through the Quartier Latin and ran along the Montreal fortifications to the river. There are still some traces of the river.[6]

Today

Today there are only a handful of streams and lakes in nature. However, many parks have ponds or artificial lakes of large size.

List of water bodies

Below is a partial list of current waters bodies of the island:

Name	Location	Contact information	Type	Area (ha)
Lachine Canal	Montreal	45.4607°N 73.6046°W / 45.4607; -73.6046	artificial	158 hectares (390 acres)
Aqueduct Canal	Montreal	45.4363°N 73.5994°W / 45.4363; -73.5994	artificial
Olympic pool	Jean-Drapeau Park	45.5089°N 73.5238°W / 45.5089; -73.5238	artificial	24 hectares (59 acres)
Lake Île Notre-Dame	Jean-Drapeau Park	45.5023°N 73.5253°W / 45.5023; -73.5253	artificial	14 hectares (35 acres)
Centennial Lake	Dollard-Des Ormeaux	45.4868°N 73.8143°W / 45.4868; -73.8143	artificial	9.8 hectares (24 acres)
Lac des Dauphins	Jean-Drapeau Park	45.5241°N 73.5364°W / 45.5241; -73.5364	artificial	5 hectares (12 acres)
Lac des Battures	Nuns' Island	45.4545°N 73.5546°W / 45.4545; -73.5546	artificial	5 hectares (12 acres)
Main pond Parc Angrignon	Angrignon Park	45.4430°N 73.6014°W / 45.4430; -73.6014	artificial	4.8 hectares (12 acres)
Little Basin	Parc des Rapides	45.4278°N 73.5914°W / 45.4278; -73.5914	artificial	3.5 hectares (8.6 acres)
Swan Lake	Jean-Drapeau Park	45.5087°N 73.5344°W / 45.5087; -73.5344	artificial	3 hectares (7.4 acres)
Pond Fountain	Parc La Fontaine	45.5248°N 73.5691°W / 45.5248; -73.5691	artificial	2.8 hectares (6.9 acres)
Beaver Lake	Mount Royal Park	45.4986°N 73.5974°W / 45.4986; -73.5974	artificial	1.9 hectares (4.7 acres)
Basin Jarry Park	Jarry Park	45.5353°N 73.6249°W / 45.5353; -73.6249	artificial	1 hectare (2.5 acres)