Petit Saguenay River

With long, the "Petit Saguenay River" drains a watershed of including for the basin upstream of the "Petit Saguenay" water measurement station located 1 km downstream of the confluence with the outlet of David Lake. At this measuring station, the average flow of the river reaches . The Petit Saguenay River is a river of white water, with a bed of pebbles, gravel and sand. == Geography ==

The main hydrographic slopes near the Petit Saguenay River are: • North side: Saguenay River; • East side: rivière de la Baie des Rochers, Saint-Athanase River, Saint-Étienne River; • South side: Noire River, Deschênes River; • West side: Rivière du Portage, Saint-Jean River. Note: Between Sagard and Petit-Saguenay, the Petit Saguenay River is bordered by route 170. The mouth of the Petit Saguenay River flows into a narrow bay on the south shore of the Saguenay River, partially closed by a jetty. This berry provides protection from boating in the event of a windstorm. This confluence is located at: • north-east of the village center of L'Anse-Saint-Jean; • northwest of the village center of Petit-Saguenay; • west of Tadoussac. == History ==

The name of the river was mentioned by James McKenzie in the legislature of Lower Canada in 1824. The occupation of the region dates back to the late 1830s. In 1842, a sawmill was built near the mouth of the Petit Saguenay River. William Price (1789-1867) bought it in 1844 and established a model farm there which also became the headquarters of his activities in the area. As a result, river salmon became scarce due to the presence of sawmills and overfishing. The fire of Mr. Price's sawmill in 1870 resulted in the displacement of upstream dwellings on the present site of the village of Petit-Saguenay. == Fishing ==

Salmon fishing rights in the Petit Saguenay River were first held by William Price. At the end of the 19th century, they passed into the hands of several rich English speakers, before being granted to clubs and associations. In 1950, a group of Americans acquired land bordering the river, upstream of the village, and built fishing lodges. This complex (land and construction), known as the "Gentlemen's Club", is now managed under the name of "Petit-Saguenay River Site". Since 1999, the territory has been established in controlled harvesting zone (zec) and the "Petit-Saguenay River Association" has been managing Atlantic salmon sport fishing since 1966. The organization is recognized for its role in the sustainable development of salmon resources by being the founder of the Atlantic Salmon Protective Charter. Thirteen of the 88.4 kilometers are open to salmon fishing, including one on the Portage River, a tributary of Petit-Saguenay. For the salmon fishery, the river has 24 pits in 1 open access area and 2 restricted access areas. == Toponymy ==

The name "Petit Saguenay River" was originally mentioned in 1824 by James McKenzie, at the House of Assembly of Lower Canada who wanted to know more about this sector. McKenzie then refers to the "Little River named Petit Saguenay on which we also take salmon." Surveyor William Tremblay, in his report on the canton of Saint-Jean, in 1893, mentions the "Petit Saguenay River" to identify this watercourse. In Quebec toponymy, we often find duplicates in diminutive of the main watercourse (ex.: "Saguenay river" versus "Petit Saguenay river"). The toponym "Petit Saguenay River" was formalized on December 5, 1968, at the Bank of Place Names of the Commission de toponymie du Québec. == Notes and references ==

Related Articles • Le Fjord-du-Saguenay Regional County Municipality • Petit-Saguenay, a municipality • Portage River • Cabanage River • Deschênes River • Sagard, an TNO • Zec du Lac-au-Sable, a controlled harvesting zone • Zec de la Rivière-Petit-Saguenay, a controlled harvesting zone • Zec de l'Anse-Saint-Jean, a controlled harvesting zone • Saguenay Fjord National Park • List of rivers of Quebec External links