The Chibougamau River flows west in the
Chibougamau
Chibougamau () is the largest town in Nord-du-Québec, central Quebec, Canada. Located on Lake Gilman, it has a population of 7,233 people (2021 Canadian census). Chibougamau is surrounded by, but not part of, the local municipality of Eeyou ...
, then
Eeyou Istchee James Bay (municipality) in the administrative region of
Nord-du-Québec
Nord-du-Québec (; ) is the largest, but the least populous, of the seventeen administrative regions of Quebec, Canada.
Spread over nearly 14 degrees of latitude, north of the 49th parallel, the region covers on the Labrador Peninsula, making ...
,
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
.
From the source, the course of the river successively crosses the townships of: Roy, McKenzie, O'Balski, Hauy, Scott, Barlow, Mckenzie, Blainlock, McKenzie, Barlow, Cuvier, Opemisca, Lamarck, Guettard, Saussure, Ribourde, Ronciere, Ribourde, Krieghoff and Gand.
The surface of the Iserhoff North River is usually frozen from early November to mid-May, however, safe ice circulation is usually from mid-November to mid-April.
Geography
The surrounding hydrographic slopes of the Chibougamau River are:
*North side:
Maicasagi River,
Caupichigau River,
Comencho Lake and
Opataca Lake;
*East side:
Chibougamau Lake,
Obatogamau Lakes;
*South side:
Opawica River and
Obatogamau River;
*West side:
Waswanipi River
The Waswanipi River is a tributary of Matagami Lake. The Waswanipi River flows in the Municipality of Eeyou Istchee Baie-James in the administrative region of Nord-du-Québec, in Quebec, Canada.
Geography
The main hydrographic slopes adjacent ...
,
Lake Waswanipi
Lake Waswanipi is a lake located in municipality of Eeyou Istchee Baie-James (municipalité), in administrative region of Nord-du-Québec, in Quebec, in Canada.
Waswanipi Lake extends into the townships of Bergères, Bossé, Nelligan, Bellin and ...
,
Goéland Lake (Waswanipi River).
The head of the Chibougamau River hydrographic slope is located South of the
Mistassini Lake.
The
Chibougamau Lake is the main source of the Chibougamau River, which flows more than 200 km to the west in complex zigzags. The mouth of
Chibougamau Lake flows westward into Lac aux Dorés, located southeast of the town of
Chibougamau
Chibougamau () is the largest town in Nord-du-Québec, central Quebec, Canada. Located on Lake Gilman, it has a population of 7,233 people (2021 Canadian census). Chibougamau is surrounded by, but not part of, the local municipality of Eeyou ...
. The mouth of "Lac aux Dorés" is located at the bottom of a bay south of the lake in Obalski Township.
Flowing south, the Chibougamau River flares out to form Merrill Lake, then the river waters Scott Township to the north. On its irregular course, the river crosses successively 12 lakes: Ledden, David, Dulieux, Simon, Scott, Acinitchibastat, Gwillim,
Chevrillon, Rush, Barlow,
Opémisca and
Michwacho.
At its mouth, the Chibougamau River converges with the
Opawica River (coming from the southeast) to form the
Waswanipi River
The Waswanipi River is a tributary of Matagami Lake. The Waswanipi River flows in the Municipality of Eeyou Istchee Baie-James in the administrative region of Nord-du-Québec, in Quebec, Canada.
Geography
The main hydrographic slopes adjacent ...
. This point of convergence is just upstream of the
Waswanipi River
The Waswanipi River is a tributary of Matagami Lake. The Waswanipi River flows in the Municipality of Eeyou Istchee Baie-James in the administrative region of Nord-du-Québec, in Quebec, Canada.
Geography
The main hydrographic slopes adjacent ...
bridge on
road 113 connecting
Chapais with
Lebel-sur-Quévillon
Lebel-sur-Quévillon () is a city (Quebec), city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec, located on Quebec Route 113, Route 113 in the Jamésie region. It is located approximately 88 kilometres north of Senneterre ...
. The village of
Waswanipi is located near the mouth of the two rivers on the north bank of the Chibougamau River.
On its route, the river drains in particular the area of establishment Cri de
Oujé-Bougoumou, located on the north shore of Lake Opémisca. This hamlet is 16.3 km (in a direct line) North of the village of
Chapais. The summit of Mount Opémisca () is located North of Opémisca Lake and Northwest of Cri de
Oujé-Bougoumou.
After crossing
Michwacho, the Chibougamau River branches North and West to bypass the Michwacho Mountains (), Roy (), "of the Solitary Sentinel"() and the Pachyderm Hills ().
Toponymy
In 1816 James Clouston of the
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...
drew a map of the area, which refers to the name "Capacomou River" to refer to the Chibougamau River.
The toponym ''Chibougamau River'' was formalized on December 5, 1968, at the Bank of place names of the
Commission de toponymie du Quebec, when it was created.
Commission de toponymie du Québec - Bank of Place Names - Toponym: "Chibougamau River"
/ref>
Notes and references
See also
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chibougamau River
Rivers of Nord-du-Québec
Nottaway River drainage basin
Eeyou Istchee James Bay