Coulonge River

Rivière Coulonge near Pont Davidson

The Grandes Chutes

The Rivière Coulonge (English Coulonge River) is a largely untamed river in the west of the Canadian province of Quebec.

It has a length of 241 km, a catchment area of ​​5232 km ². It runs from its source at Lac au Barrage ( in Réserve faunique La Vérendrye ) mainly in a southeasterly direction to the Ottawa River, into which it flows near Fort Coulonge -. About this stretch of the river negotiates a gradient of 260 m, 48 m Attributable to the Waterfalls Chutes Coulonge (also Grandes Chutes ) at ( ⊙ 45.875878-76.690543 ), approximately 15 km upstream from the confluence with the Ottawa River.

As a popular with canoe enthusiasts whitewater river, he is often mentioned together with the neighboring rivers Rivière Rivière Noire and Dumoine. All three rivers are in the same catchment area and have similar characteristics Wild water. All three flow into the Ottawa River within a distance of 105 km.

History

The Rivière Coulonge was by Nicholas d' Ailleboust, Sieur de Coulonge, named. This started in winter 1694-95 a trading post at the mouth of the river. This was the first permanent European settlement in the Pontiac region of West Quebec.

The river was used as a waterway of the Native Americans. He was later traveled by coureurs des bois for their fur trade. In 1835, the Scottish -born lumber baron George Bryson acquired rights of use over large forest areas within the Grandes Chutes.

In 1994, a hydroelectric plant was built with dam above the Grandes Chutes. Thus all that remains of the Rivière Dumoine than last major free-flowing tributary of the Ottawa River.