Saint-Maurice River

Saint-Maurice River (Rivière Saint-Maurice)
Saint-Maurice River at Grandes-Piles
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
Source	Gouin Reservoir
- elevation	404 m (1,325 ft)
Mouth
- location	Trois-Rivières, Mauricie, Quebec, Canada
Length	563 km (350 mi)
Basin	43,300 km2 (16,718 sq mi)
Discharge	for Saint Lawrence River
- average	700 m3/s (24,720 cu ft/s)

The Saint-Maurice River is a river in central Quebec which flows south from Gouin Reservoir to empty into the Saint Lawrence River at Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The river is 563 km in length and has a drainage basin of 43,300 km² (16,700 mile²)^[1].

During the 18th century, early fur traders travelled along the river. During the second half of the 19th century, logging became an important industry in the surrounding Mauricie region. For much of the 20th century, the river was used to transport logs to mills down river and it was, and still is, a major source of hydroelectric power.

The river was named after Maurice Poulin de La Fontaine, who owned property along the river in the 17th century.

Communities on the river include:

• Trois-Rivières
• Shawinigan
• La Tuque

Tributaries of this river include the:

• Trenche River
• Vermillon River
• Matawin River

See also

• List of Quebec rivers
• 1663 Charlevoix earthquake

References

1. ^ The Canadian Encyclopedia

External links

• Tourisme Mauricie Regional tourist office

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Saint-Maurice River