Mistassini River

Rivière Mistassini in Dolbeau Mistassini -

The Rivière Mistassini is a river in central Quebec, Canada.

It flows into the northwestern part of the Lac Saint -Jean. It has a length of 298 km and a catchment area of ​​21,900 km ². Its origin lies between Lac Eau Froide and Lac de Vau in the north of Rivière- Mistassini.

Despite its name, the Lac Mistassini not situated in the basin of the Rivière Mistassini, however, about 80 km west of its source. The Rivière Mistassini is often confused with its almost equally denominated left tributary of Rivière Mistassibi.

The headwaters of the Rivière Mistassini is characterized by a series of rapids and waterfalls. Only the last 25 km from Dolbeau Mistassini - up to his mouth are navigable. Its tributaries include the Rivière Papillon, the Rivière des Framboises, the Rivière aux Rats and the Rivière Mistassibi. The latter both lead coming into the Rivière Mistassini Dolbeau - Mistassini in from the east.

History

During the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century, the Rivière Mistassini was considered as one of six main access roads to Lac Mistassini. A map of Louis Joliet from 1679 the river is called Kakigoua, which means " where the sand is cut at right angles ." Later, the river Rivière aux Sables got the name ( " Sand River ") announced on maps of Laure 1731 and 1732, and Bourguignon d' Anville by Jean Baptiste from 1755 and Jacques- Nicolas Bellin from 1764. During his trip in 1792 the botanist André Michaux the river its current name. Probably this term was first used in 1825 to topographical purposes. This year forgave Pascal Taché, Lord of Kamouraska, officially this river name.

The prominent Canadian paleontologist Diamanto DeParkington discovered in 1992 near the Rivière Mistassini bones of Allosaurus. These are displayed in the British Museum.