Matapédia River
Encyclopedia
The Matapédia River is a river
on the Gaspé Peninsula
in the province of Quebec
, Canada
. It runs 65 km from Lake Matapédia
(Lac Matapédia) to the village of Matapédia
where it flows into the Restigouche River
on the interprovincial boundary with New Brunswick
.
Matapédia Lake becomes Matapédia River at Amqui
(population 6800), where it is a meander
river for a distance of approximately 15 km before widening to an elongated lake 1 km wide, and 7 km long at Lac-au-Saumon
, and then narrowing back to a river below the dam in the village of Causapscal. A major tributary Causapscal River joins the Matapedia River below the dam in the village of the same name and the "Junction Pool" located there is a very popular salmon pool among anglers.
A section of Route 132
travels along most of the river in the Matapedia Valley making access relatively easy.
The river's name means "meeting of waters" in Mi'kmaq
, most likely referring to the confluence of it and the larger Restigouche River at its mouth.
The Matapédia is a world renowned Atlantic salmon
fishing river and was once given the title "The Fishing Capital of the World" due to the abundance of large, healthy bright salmon. Due to water pollution
in the river, disease and overfishing, the salmon population and maximum recorded specimen size have fallen appreciably since the beginning of the middle of the 20th century. The Atlantic salmon is now a fly fishing only, "hook and release
" species; and so after catching, must be set free. Salmon fishing in this area is highly regulated by the Province of Quebec, with special daily permits and licenses required. It is recommended to inquire in the village of Matapedia for information on permits and guides. Public waters are available to anglers in the upper portions of the river. Limited-access salmon fishing, generally with outfitters or guides to the most productive salmon pools is made available to the public via a special annual lottery. There are still many private fishing camps on the banks of the lower river, such as Cold Springs and the Taupic, most of them owned by businessmen and large corporations.
During the river's most productive and fertile years (generally considered to be between 1890 and 1960), it was a destination for the wealthy and famous from around the world, including American presidents, British royalty, and numerous Hollywood stars.
Quebec folksingers Kate and Anna McGarrigle
named an album and its title track after the river: Matapédia
.
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
on the Gaspé Peninsula
Gaspé Peninsula
The Gaspésie , or Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, extending into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
in the province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It runs 65 km from Lake Matapédia
Lake Matapedia
Lake Matapedia is a body of water in Quebec, Canada, and is the source of the Matapédia River. The town of Amqui lies at the southeast corner of the lake....
(Lac Matapédia) to the village of Matapédia
Matapédia, Quebec
Matapédia is a village at the southern tip of the Gaspé peninsula, in Eastern Quebec, Canada. Matapedia is located on the 132 highway. Its name comes from a Mi'kmaq language word meaning "river junction", as the Matapédia River crosses it, at the junction of the Restigouche River...
where it flows into the Restigouche River
Restigouche River
The Restigouche River is a river that flows across the northwestern part of the province of New Brunswick and the southeastern part of Quebec....
on the interprovincial boundary with New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
.
Matapédia Lake becomes Matapédia River at Amqui
Amqui, Quebec
Amqui is a town in eastern Quebec at the base of the Gaspé peninsula. Located on the Matapédia River, it is the seat of La Matapédia Regional County Municipality. Amqui was the first town in Quebec to ban single-use plastic bags, effective the spring of 2008...
(population 6800), where it is a meander
Meander
A meander in general is a bend in a sinuous watercourse. A meander is formed when the moving water in a stream erodes the outer banks and widens its valley. A stream of any volume may assume a meandering course, alternately eroding sediments from the outside of a bend and depositing them on the...
river for a distance of approximately 15 km before widening to an elongated lake 1 km wide, and 7 km long at Lac-au-Saumon
Lac-au-Saumon, Quebec
Lac-au-Saumon is a municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in La Matapédia Regional Council Municipality.The municipality had a population of 1,517 in the Canada 2006 Census.-Municipal council:* Mayor: Jean-Claude Dumoulin...
, and then narrowing back to a river below the dam in the village of Causapscal. A major tributary Causapscal River joins the Matapedia River below the dam in the village of the same name and the "Junction Pool" located there is a very popular salmon pool among anglers.
A section of Route 132
Quebec route 132
Route 132 is the longest highway in Quebec. It follows the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River from the border with the state of New York in the hamlet of Dundee , west of Montreal to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and circles the Gaspé Peninsula...
travels along most of the river in the Matapedia Valley making access relatively easy.
The river's name means "meeting of waters" in Mi'kmaq
Mi'kmaq language
The Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
, most likely referring to the confluence of it and the larger Restigouche River at its mouth.
The Matapédia is a world renowned Atlantic salmon
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
fishing river and was once given the title "The Fishing Capital of the World" due to the abundance of large, healthy bright salmon. Due to water pollution
Water pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies . Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds....
in the river, disease and overfishing, the salmon population and maximum recorded specimen size have fallen appreciably since the beginning of the middle of the 20th century. The Atlantic salmon is now a fly fishing only, "hook and release
Catch and release
Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing intended as a technique of conservation. After capture, the fish are unhooked and returned to the water before experiencing serious exhaustion or injury...
" species; and so after catching, must be set free. Salmon fishing in this area is highly regulated by the Province of Quebec, with special daily permits and licenses required. It is recommended to inquire in the village of Matapedia for information on permits and guides. Public waters are available to anglers in the upper portions of the river. Limited-access salmon fishing, generally with outfitters or guides to the most productive salmon pools is made available to the public via a special annual lottery. There are still many private fishing camps on the banks of the lower river, such as Cold Springs and the Taupic, most of them owned by businessmen and large corporations.
During the river's most productive and fertile years (generally considered to be between 1890 and 1960), it was a destination for the wealthy and famous from around the world, including American presidents, British royalty, and numerous Hollywood stars.
Quebec folksingers Kate and Anna McGarrigle
Kate and Anna McGarrigle
Kate and Anna McGarrigle, were a pair of Canadian singer-songwriters from Quebec, who performed as a duo until Kate McGarrigle's death on January 18, 2010.-Profile:...
named an album and its title track after the river: Matapédia
Matapédia (album)
Matapédia is a 1996 album by Kate and Anna McGarrigle.Kate's daughter Martha Wainwright appears on the album as a backing vocalist; she is also directly mentioned in the lyrics of the title track....
.