Chicotte River


The Chicotte River is a tributary of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, flowing in the municipality of L'Île-d'Anticosti, in the Minganie Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of North Shore, in province of Quebec, in Canada.
A forest road serves the west side of this valley and another on the east side; these roads connect to the south the coastal road of the island. These roads are mainly used for forestry and recreational tourism activities.
Forestry is the main economic activity in this area, particularly through Anticosti National Park which covers the upper part of the river; recreational tourism activities, second.

Geography

The Chicotte River draws its source from a mountain stream, located in the south-central part of the island. This source is located in a forest area at:
From its source, the Chicotte River descends between the Rivière aux Rats and the Rivière aux Plats. The Chicotte River generally flows towards the southeast and the south over with a drop of, according to the following segments:
  • first to the south to a bend in the river corresponding to a stream ; then towards the south-east in an increasingly deep valley, collecting a stream, until the discharge of a small river;
  • in a deep valley, first towards the south-east leaving the territory of Anticosti National Park after about of this segment, up to a bend in the river; then south, curving south-east at the end of the segment, until the outlet of a stream ;
  • first to the southeast in a deep valley until a bend in the river; towards the south curving towards the south-east; passing under the forest road bridge that runs along the southern coast of Anticosti Island; by crossing the Petit canyon Chicotte and passing in front of the locality Chicotte la Mer at the end of the segment, to its mouth.
The Chicotte River empties on the south shore of Anticosti Island, in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, on the west side of Cap des Caps. This confluence is located at east of Pointe des Morts, at east of the mouth of the Galiote River and at east of the village center of Port-Menier.

Toponymy

The toponymic designation "Chicotte River" appears on an 1856 map of Anticosti Island by geologist James Richardson. The spelling "Chicotte" derives from the English pronunciation of the French word "chicot", meaning debris of trees or shrubs.
The toponym “rivière Chicotte” was made official on December 5, 1968.

Recreational tourism activities

Anticosti National Park has an appendix to the southwest, that is, to the south of Lake Jolliet and to the south of the forest road leading southeast to Lake Martin; this park appendix covers approximately of the upper reaches of the Chicotte River. A path allows you to contemplate nature on the south shore, between the limit of the national park and the course of the river.