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The Rivière des Prairies (literally River of the Meadows or Prairies, sometimes called the Back River in English) is a delta channel of the Ottawa River in southwestern Quebec, Canada.
Flowing west to east, it bisects the Hochelaga Archipelago and rises in the Lac des Deux-Montagnes. It flows on either side of Île Bizard (part of Montreal), it then divides the Island of Montreal (Montreal) to the south from Île Jésus (Laval) to the north, after which it flows into the St. Lawrence River at the eastern tip of the Island of Montreal.
The river contains a large number of islands, including Île Bizard, the Îles Laval (Île Bigras, Île Pariseau, Île Verte and Île Ronde) belonging to Laval, and Île de la Visitation, a nature park belonging to Montreal. The Rapides du Cheval Blanc are located downstream from the Îles Laval, in the portion of the river separating the borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro in Montreal from Sainte-Dorothée in Laval.
Historically, the river received massive discharges of untreated liquid waste from Montreal, turning it into essentially an open sewer; however, ecological intervention and modern sewage treatment techniques reversed the damage and the river is now considered clean,and suitable for swimming.
See also
- List of bridges spanning the Rivière des Prairies
- List of Quebec rivers
- List of crossings of the Rivière des Prairies
- List of hydroelectric stations
Further reading
- Agence de développement de réseaux locaux de services de santé et de services sociaux de Montréal (Québec). Health Care, in Your Neighbourhood. Health and Social Service Resources in the CLSC Rivière-des-Prairies District. Montreal: Agence de développement de réseaux locaux de services de santé et de services sociaux, Montreal, 2004.
- Canada. Bill An Act to Remove Certain Obstructions to the Navigation of the Rivière des Prairies, and to Repeal Certain Clauses of the Acts 10th and 11th Victoria, Cap. 97 and 98. Quebec: Thompson, 2003. ISBN 0659025701 (1860 Bibliographic record)
- Hughes, Kevin, and Sylvie Paré. Impacts of Ethnic Changes on the Housing Market in the Rivière-des-Prairies District of Montreal. [Ottawa]: CMHC, 2006.
- Rybczynski, Witold, Avi Friedman, and Brenda Baxter. Urban Design for Affordability = Urbanisme Et Conception De Maisons Abordables, Rivière-des-Prairies. Montreal: Affordable Homes Program, School of Architecture, McGill University, 1991.
- Verdon, R., and M. Gendron. 1991. "Creation of Artificial Spawning Grounds Downstream of the Rivière-des-Prairies Spillway". Transactions - Canadian Electrical Association. Engineering and Operation Division. 30.
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