Leaf River (Quebec)
Leaf River is a river in northern Quebec, Canada, at the northern limit of the tree line. It flows from Lake Minto northeast through the Ungava Peninsula into Leaf Bay off Ungava Bay over a distance of. At the head of Leaf Bay is the Inuit community of Tasiujaq.
With caution, it is possible to paddle the entire Leaf River without portaging, as it contains no impassable waterfalls or non-navigable rapids. The river's length, measured from Charpentier Bay to Tasiujaq, is ; if measured from first discernable current, it is.
The river is ice-free for about 60 days each year.
Tributaries
The significant tributaries of the Leaf River are:- Charpentier River
- Nedlouc River
- Descareaux River
- Daunais River
- Goudalie River
- Vizien River
- Brissard River
- Qijuttuuk River
- Cohade River
- Tuktu River
- Dufreboy Creek
- Viennaux River
- Papijjusaq River
- Peladeau River
- Fanfan River
History
Since at least the late 19th century, the river has been known by its English name, "Leaf River", which was probably derived from the Arctic willow and birch trees that grow sparsely along its banks. The Hudson's Bay Company fished there for salmon and porpoises, and opened a trading post at the mouth of the river around 1905. In the early 20th century, the French name Rivière des Feuilles was assigned, and standardized to its current form Rivière aux Feuilles in 1925.First known explorers:
1898 - Albert Peter Low
1912 - Robert J. Flaherty
1976 - Bob Davis