Ouiatchouaniche River

The Ouiatchouaniche river has its source in Lake Quentin (length: ; altitude: ) in the unorganized territory of Lac-Ashuapmushuan. This lake is mainly supplied by the outlet (coming from the east) from Couture lake and the outlet (coming from the south) from an unidentified lake. This source is located at: • west of Lac des Commissaires; • south-west of the village center of Chambord; • south-west of the mouth of the Ouiatchouaniche River. The Ouiatchouaniche river flows on the southwest bank of lac Saint-Jean. This confluence is located on the north side of the city of Roberval, either: • south-east of the center of the village of Pointe-Bleue; • north-west of the center of the village of Chambord. From the mouth of the Ouiatchouaniche river, the current crosses Lake Saint-Jean for towards the northeast, follows the course of the Saguenay River via the Petite Décharge on eastwards to Tadoussac where it merges with the Estuary of Saint Lawrence. == Use of the territory ==

The south of the basin is located in the forest zone. From the southern limit of Sainte-Hedwidge, the river flows from agroforestry areas that are not under cultivation. Finally, the last kilometers downstream are located in agricultural areas, although they are not under cultivation. The river flows through two urban agglomerations, Sainte-Hedwidge and Roberval. The only protected area along the watercourse is the habitat of the Lac Vallée muskrat (). The river also serves as a limit to the zec de la Lièvre. == Toponymy ==

The term "Ouiatchouaniche" is of Innu origin; it is a diminutive of "Ouiatchouan". This last term turns out to be the name of a river flowing into Lac Saint-Jean to the southwest. Locally, this watercourse is designated “Rivière du Tremblay”. The second part of the term "Ouiatchouaniche" can also resemble "Ouananiche", which turns out to be the name of a river whose confluence with Lac Saint-Jean is to the southwest. == Notes and references ==