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Romaine River

Coordinates: 50°18′08″N 63°48′12″W / 50.30222°N 63.80333°W / 50.30222; -63.80333
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Romaine River
Kanatuahkuiau, Uanaman Hipu, Uepatauekat Shipu, Rivière Romaine
Near its mouth in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, from the Alexandre-Tanguay bridge,[1] Route 138, Havre-Saint-Pierre
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec - Newfoudland and Labrador
RegionCôte-Nord - Labrador
Physical characteristics
SourceUnnamed wilderness
 • coordinates52°52′20″N 63°36′55″W / 52.87222°N 63.61528°W / 52.87222; -63.61528
 • elevation685 m (2,247 ft)
MouthJacques Cartier Strait in Gulf of St. Lawrence
 • location
About 15 km west of Havre-Saint-Pierre
 • coordinates
50°18′08″N 63°48′12″W / 50.30222°N 63.80333°W / 50.30222; -63.80333
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length496 km (308 mi)
Basin size14,350 km2 (5,540 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average340 m3/s (12,000 cu ft/s)

The Romaine River, Kanatuahkuiau, Uanaman Hipu, Uepatauekat Shipu, the river traditional indigenous variants, Rivière Romaine in French, it flows from north to south, emptying into the Jacques Cartier Strait, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Havre-Saint-Pierre municipality.[2]

The Romaine is a salmon river located in Minganie RCM, Côte-Nord, and Labrador regions, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador provinces, in Canada.[3]

Geography

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Romaine River is 496 kilometres (308 mi) long. It is not to be confused with the Olomane River that is 220 kilometres (140 mi) to the east and had the same name for a long time.

The river is about 518 kilometres (322 mi) long, none of which is in Labrador since the east bank of the river forms the border between Quebec and Labrador. The river has a Strahler number of 7.[4] It has its source on the boundary between the Atlantic and St. Lawrence watersheds, and flows first through a series of lakes, including Long, Marc, Brûlé (Burnt), Lavoie, Anderson, and Lozeau. This portion of the river to just past the confluence with Uauahkue Patauan Creek forms the boundary between Quebec and Labrador. Then it flows in a mostly southerly direction until a dozen miles from the coast where it takes a sharp turn to the west, flowing through a series of swampy waterlogged small lakes. The Romaine River flows into Jacques Cartier Strait, part of Gulf of St. Lawrence, west of Havre-Saint-Pierre and Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve.[2]

Toponymy

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The name Romaine, in use since the end of the 19th century, is a French adaptation of a word from a First Nations language, Ouraman or Ulaman, as noted by Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin in 1685, while Jacques-Nicolas Bellin wrote Ramane on his map of 1744. It comes from unaman, meaning "vermilion" or "red ochre". Deposits of this material are found on the banks of the Olomane River.[2]

Romaine watershed

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The Romaine River is fed by the watersheds of the rivers, Petit Mécatina, Natashquan, Aguanish, Nabisipi, Watshishou, Quetachou, from the Crow and the Bear (Rivières de la Corneille et à l'Ours French).[5][6]

Localisation

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The Romaine River basin covers 14,500 square kilometres (5,600 sq mi). It lies between the basins of the Mingan River to the west and the Rivière à l'Ours (Bear river) to the east.[7] About 15.5% of the basin is in Labrador north of the provincial boundary. In Quebec the basin includes parts of the unorganized territory of Lac-Jérôme and the municipality of Havre-Saint-Pierre. The Mine du lac Tio, an iron and titanium mine, is in the river basin. It also includes the proposed Buttes du Lac aux Sauterelles biodiversity reserve (Katnukamat Biodiversity Reserve).[8]

Katnukamat Biodiversity Reserve

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Réserve de biodiversité Katnukamat is located in the backcountry of the Côte-Nord, it's part of the unorganized territory of Lac-Jérôme in Minganie MRC. The protected area is about 165 km north-northwest of Havre-Saint-Pierre and about 155 km north of the Innu community (Ekuanishit).[8]

Tributaries

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The Romaine River includes several important tributaries: the Puyjalon river at the southern end of the watershed, the Romaine Sud-Est and Abbé-Huard rivers in the southeast, the Garneau river in the center-east, the Touladis river in the center- west, the Sauterelles River to the northwest, the Sénécal River and its network of lakes to the northeast and the Natuaiahu Creek at the northern end.[6][9]

Hydroelectric development

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Côte-Nord, Minganie, maybe in Havre-Saint-Pierre, Romaine hydroelectric complex, entrance[10]

In September 2007, a study of 490 pages[11] conducted by Hydro-Québec, submitted to the Minister of Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change highlighted the importance of the work planned for the development of the Complexe de la Romaine. Numerous consultations with the public as well as various discussions with the community[12] and local authorities made it possible to disclose the major environmental issues of the project, namely:

In December 2007, Hydro-Québec's Geomatics Department published an information document intended for the public concerned by the Romaine Complex project, consisting of 6 detailed maps:[3]

  1. Constituent municipalities
  2. Sport hunting and fishing
  3. Commercial fishing zones
  4. Snowmobile trail network downstream from the Romaine-2 site[14]
  5. Navigation on the Romaine River, locations of rapids, weirs, waterfall and portages
  6. Typical landscapes[3]

The Romaine River is being developed by Hydro-Québec for hydro-electric power generation. Construction started in 2009 on a new hydroelectric plant, along with four rock-filled dams and a 150 kilometres (93 mi) long access road, that will take 11 years to build at an estimated cost of C$6.5 billion. Called "the biggest construction project in Canada", the project will employ an estimated 2000 people between 2012 and 2016, and create some C$3.5 billion in economic spinoffs.

The final project will include four new power plants with a total installed capacity of more than 1550 MW and an average annual production of 8.0 TWh.[13]

This project is controversial however, as the cost of electricity production may be higher than the price at which the electricity will be sold, as shown in a 2010 documentary called "Chercher le courant" ("Seeking The Current") by Nicolas Boisclair and Alexis de Gheldère. The film argues that the Romaine project is unnecessary, unprofitable, and ecologically destructive. It is also opposed by the Fondation Rivières.

Name[3] Location (km from mouth) Design flow (m3/s) Capacity (MW) Units Head (m) Est. completion year Reservoir Reservoir size (km2) Geographic coord.
Romaine-1 52.5 485 270 2 61 2016 Romaine-1 Reservoir 12 50°23′01″N 63°15′37″W / 50.3835948°N 63.2603502°W / 50.3835948; -63.2603502 (Romaine-1 (Under Construction))
Romaine-2 90.4 453 640 2 151 2014 Romaine-2 Reservoir 83 50°37′28″N 63°11′34″W / 50.6245286°N 63.1928015°W / 50.6245286; -63.1928015 (Romaine-2 (Under Construction))
Romaine-3 158.6 372 395 2 116 2017 Romaine-3 Reservoir 38 51°06′52″N 63°24′00″W / 51.1144073°N 63.4000397°W / 51.1144073; -63.4000397 (Romaine-3 (Under Construction))
Romaine-4 192.0 307 245 2 93 2022 Romaine-4 Reservoir 140 51°20′52″N 63°29′12″W / 51.3477778°N 63.4866667°W / 51.3477778; -63.4866667 (Romaine-4 (Under Construction))

Fauna

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The Romaine River is home to the Atlantic salmon that swims 52 kilometres (32 mi) upstream as far as the Grande Chute. Other fish species are Brook trout (found along the river's entire length), Lake trout (in most lakes), and Landlocked salmon (upstream of Grande Chute).[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Alexandre-Tanguay Bridge". Gouvernement of Quebec (in French). Commission de Toponymy Quebec. 13 May 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2024. It was October 10, 1974 when Alexandre Tanguay was employed by Hydro-Québec to conduct hydrographic surveys on the Romaine River, where he lost his life the same day, approximately 87 km upstream from this bridge. His wife having died a few months earlier, the eleven children were orphaned. The tragedy marked the North Shore community.
  2. ^ a b c "Romaine River, Kanatuahkuiau, Uanaman Hipu, Uepatauekat Shipu (River), traditional indigenous variations". Gouvernement of Quebec (in French). Commission de Toponymy Quebec. 5 December 1968. Retrieved 15 September 2024. ... name of Romaine, used at the end of the 19th century, is the French adaptation of the Amerindian term noted Ouraman by Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin, in 1685. We also find "R. d'eau Ramane" on the Map of the eastern part of New France or Canada by Nicolas Bellin, in 1744.
  3. ^ a b c d "6 Maps, information document on the Romaine Complex project" (PDF). Hydro-Quebec (in French). Hydro-Québec Geomatics. December 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2024. Snowmobile trail network, Navigation on the Romaine River, locations of rapids, weirs, watherfalls and portages. Typical landscapes
  4. ^ Michael Colbert (29 April 2013). "Hydrology of Transboundary Rivers in Southern Labrador" (PDF). Government ofNewfoundland & Labrador. Department of Environment and Conservation Water Resources Management Division. pp. 30 of 212. Retrieved 15 September 2024. Romaine River … covers an area of approximately 14,290 km2 The majority of the watershed is in Quebec as only 2,220 km2 (15.5 %) falls within Labrador.
  5. ^ Claude Théberge (August 2008). "Rivière à l'Ours (Bear River)". Projet d’aménagement hydroélectrique sur la rivière Sheldrake à Rivière-au-Tonnerre, MRC Minganie (in French). GENIVAR. pp. 65 and 68 of 140. Retrieved 16 September 2024. According to information from fishermen, the Ours River is home to a large population of trout
  6. ^ a b "Portrait of the Romaine watershed, tributaries" (PDF). Duplessis Watershed Organization (OBV Duplessis) (in French). Minganie study area. 16 October 2015. p. 12. Retrieved 16 September 2024. in the center of the Minganie study area, the Romaine watershed is bordered, from northeast to southeast, by the Petit Mécatina, Natashquan, Aguanish, Nabisipi, Watshishou, Quetachou, from the Crow and the Bear.
  7. ^ Philippe Bourdon; Ghassen Ibrahim; Myriam Luce; N’Binkéna NantobBikatui; Clara Othoniel; Yohann Tremblay (April 2015). "Duplessis Water Master Plan" (PDF) (in French). Organisme de bassins versants Duplessis (OBV Duplessis. p. 97. Retrieved 15 September 2024. Four very large watersheds occupy a territory between 15,000 and 20,000 km2 : Petit Mécatina, Moisie, Natashquan and Romaine.
  8. ^ a b "Réserve de biodiversité Katnukamat (Lac aux Sauterelles)" (PDF). Gouvernement of Quebec. Official publisher of Quebec. 1 September 2019. pp. 20 of 34. Retrieved 16 September 2024. The biodiversity reserve is in the Rivière Romaine watershed, protecting about 3.7% of it. There are just over fifteen lakes of glacial origin, covering nearly 15% of the territory. Most are elongated, entrenched in narrow valleys. The largest is Lac aux Sauterelles with an area of 17 km² and a length of about 20 km.
  9. ^ "Water Atlas, July 2024 version". Gouvernement of Quebec (in French). Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 15 September 2024. Keyboard user: When the map is in focus, use the arrow keys to move the map and use the shift+plus and shift+negative keys to zoom. Configure your keyboard to control the mouse or enable accessibility mode to have input boxes for coordinates
  10. ^ "Visit Romaine-1 hydropower generating station!". Hydro-Quebec. 1996–2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024. Gallery photos, Aerial view of the Romaine‑1 spillway and reservoir.
  11. ^ a b Hydro-Quebec (December 2007). "Complexe de la Romaine, Hydro-Quebec" (PDF) (in French). Hydro-Québec Production. p. 490. Retrieved 17 September 2024. Each of the developments will include a rockfill dam, a power plant equipped with two turbine-alternator groups, a flood spillway and a temporary diversion allowing the work to be carried out in dry conditions. The total surface area of the four planned reservoirs is 279 km2.
  12. ^ Sylvie Vincent (2008). "The Romaine River project seen and reported by the written press" (PDF). Erudit (in French). Native American research in Quebec. p. 6. Retrieved 17 September 2024. …the developed Watersheds, that is to say those whose rivers have been transformed into lakes will soon occupy half of this entire Côte-Nord if Quebec goes forward with the idea of harnessing the Petit Mécatina
  13. ^ a b "Romaine Complex, Construction work and projects". Hydro-Quebec. 1996–2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024. Hydro-Québec Production obtained the necessary approvals to build a 1,550-MW hydroelectric complex on the Rivière Romaine, north of the municipality of Havre-Saint-Pierre
  14. ^ Isabelle Gauthier Meloche (27 August 2020). "Interactive Map and iMotoneige User Guide" (PDF). IMotoneige. FCMQ Federation of Snowmobile Clubs of Quebe. Retrieved 18 September 2024. You may choose from different basemaps: Maps without elevation, • Maps with elevation, Satellite without labels, Satellite with label
  15. ^ Michel Bérubé; Richard Verdon; Gabriel Durocher; Jean-Christophe Guay (19 October 2005). "A comprehensive Framework for Assessing Changes in Fish Habitat, Productive Capacity Resulting From Large Hydroelectric Projects" (PDF). Fischeries and Oceans Canada. Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat. pp. 25 of 40. Retrieved 16 September 2024. The source of the Romaine River is located on the Québec/Labrador border. It is frequented by salmon along its first 52 km from the sea.
  16. ^ "Omble de fontaine, Brook trout". Gouvernement of Quebec (in French). Agriculture, environment and natural resources. 204. Retrieved 5 September 2024. It usually weighs between 100 and 1000 g, but can weigh up to 2 kg.
  17. ^ Paul H . Eschmeyer (February 1964). "The Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)" (PDF). United States Department of the Interior. Fish and Wildlife Service. p. 8. Retrieved 16 September 2024. The color of the flesh of lake trout may range from white to deep reddish orange among fish taken from he same waters. The flesh has a fine, delicate flavor that is highly regarded by epicures.
  18. ^ "Saumon atlantique, Atlantic salmon". Gouvernement of Quebec (in French). Agriculture, environment and natural resources. 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2024. Characteristic features: Atlantic salmon has an elongated body, compressed on the sides and covered with small scales.
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