Rivière la Retenue

Rivère la Retenue
Rivère la Retenue
Native name	Rivière Laval (French)
Location
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Region	Capitale-Nationale
Regional County Municipality	La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality
Municipality	Château-Richer, L'Ange-Gardien
Physical characteristics
Source	Unidentified lake
• location	Château-Richer
• coordinates	47°02′13″N 71°05′51″W / 47.03695°N 71.09756°W
• elevation	568 m
Mouth	Ferrée River
• location	L'Ange-Gardien
• coordinates	46°58′16″N 71°07′31″W / 46.97111°N 71.12527°W
• elevation	190 m
Length	138 km (86 mi)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	(Upward from the mouth) Unidentified stream, discharge from an unidentified small lake, discharge from four unidentified small lakes.
• right	(Upward from the mouth) Bras du Nord-Ouest (Northwest Arm), unidentified stream, discharge from an unidentified lake.

The rivière la Retenue (English: Retained River) is a tributary of the east bank of the Ferrée river. It flows in the municipalities of Château-Richer and L'Ange-Gardien, in the La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada.^[1]

The lower part of this valley is served by roads around Lac la Retenue. The intermediate part which follows the foot of the big mountain, is served by a forest road for the needs of forestry and the maintenance of high-voltage lines of Hydro-Quebec. The upper part, which is difficult to access because of the mountainous terrain, is served by a forest road from the north. Forestry is the main economic activity in this valley; second, recreational tourism.

The surface of the Retained River is generally frozen from the beginning of December until the end of March; however, safe traffic on the ice is generally from mid-December to mid-March. The upper part of the river is subject to a frost period of about a week more due to the altitude. The water level of the river varies with the seasons and the precipitation; the spring flood occurs in March or April.

Geography[edit]

The Retained River originates from a small forest lake (length: 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi); altitude: 568 metres (1,864 ft)). This source is located in a cuvée between three mountain peaks (686 m to the north, 684 m to the northeast, 688 m to the southeast and 679 m to the southwest) in the municipality of Château-Richer, at:

4.3 kilometres (2.7 mi) east of a curve of the Montmorency river;
8.9 kilometres (5.5 mi) north of the confluence of the Retained river and the Ferrée river;
9.7 kilometres (6.0 mi) north-west of the north-west bank of the Saint-Laurent river.

From its source, the Retained River descends on 13.8 kilometres (8.6 mi), with a drop of 378 metres (1,240 ft) according to the following segments:

1.0 kilometre (0.62 mi) south in Château-Richer, with a drop of 78 metres (256 ft), to a stream (coming from the north);
2.0 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the south, collecting the discharge (coming from the northeast) of a small lake, to the discharge (coming from the southwest) of a dam lake;
4.0 kilometres (2.5 mi) with a drop of 120 metres (390 ft) first south-east to a bend in the river, then south-west to a stream (coming from the northeast). Note: This segment of river bypasses a mountain whose summit reaches 479 metres (1,572 ft);
2.9 kilometres (1.8 mi) towards the south by forming a large S, then curving towards the west, up to the outlet (coming from the north) of an unidentified lake;
2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) first towards the west until a 160 degree bend in the river, then towards the south by forming a curve towards the east, then towards the southwest by crossing the Lac la Retenue (length: 0.7 kilometres (0.43 mi); altitude: 197 metres (646 ft)), to the dam at its mouth. Note: Lac la Retenue receives the waters of the North-West Arm which pours into the bottom of an L-shaped bay with a length of 0.3 kilometres (0.19 mi);
1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) first towards the south by crossing the road?, then by forming a hook towards the west by forming two loops oriented towards the northeast, until its mouth.^[2]

The Retained river flows on the north bank of the Ferrée River into a forest area.

From the confluence of the Retained river, the current flows on 11.5 kilometres (7.1 mi) generally towards the south following the course of the Ferrée River; then on 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) towards the east by the course of the Montmorency river, to the northwest shore of the Saint-Laurent river.^[2]

Toponymy[edit]

This river was formerly designated "Laval River". This toponymic designation is linked to "Lac la Retenue" which has a dam at its mouth.

The toponym "Rivière la Retenue" was formalized on December 13, 1996 at the Commission de toponymie du Québec.^[1]

Notes and references[edit]

^ ^a ^b "Rivière la Retenue". Commission de toponymie du Québec. Bank of place names from Quebec. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
^ ^a ^b Atlas of Canada - Department of Natural Resources Canada - Rivière la Retenue - Distance and altitude measurements established from the application site measurements.

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Appendices[edit]

Bibliography[edit]

Charlevoix-Montmorency watershed organization (2015). Charlevoix-Montmorency water master plan (PDF). pp. 75, 907.

[CTQ-1] "Rivière la Retenue". Commission de toponymie du Québec. Bank of place names from Quebec. Retrieved 25 March 2020.

[Atlas-2] Atlas of Canada - Department of Natural Resources Canada - Rivière la Retenue - Distance and altitude measurements established from the application site measurements.

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[2]