Saint-Athanase River
The Saint-Athanase River is a tributary of the south shore of the Saguenay River flowing into the municipality of Petit-Saguenay in the Le Fjord-du-Saguenay Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada.
The Saint-Athanase River Valley is mainly served by Saint-Louis Road and Saint-Etienne Road.
Forestry is the first economic activity in the sector; recreational tourism activities, second.
The surface of the Saint-Athanase River is usually frozen from the beginning of December to the end of March, however, safe ice circulation is generally from mid-December to mid-March.
Geography
The main hydrographic slopes near the Saint-Athanase River are:- North side: Saguenay River;
- East side: Saint-Étienne River, Petites Îles River, St. Lawrence River;
- South side: Petit Saguenay River;
- West side: Petit Saguenay River, Cabanage River.
- south of its mouth ;
- northeast of the Petit Saguenay River;
- west of the mouth of the Saguenay River;
- east of the village center of Petit-Saguenay.
- to the north, in particular, crossing the Alphée lake on to its mouth;
- easterly, forming a curve to the north, to the discharge of a group of small lakes;
- easterly forming at the beginning of a segment a hook to the south, to the discharge of a set of small lakes;
- northerly forming a large S, to the discharge of an unidentified lake;
- northerly, curving to the northeast, to the discharge of a set of unidentified lakes;
- northwesterly to a dump of unidentified lakes;
- north in a steep valley curving westward around a large mountain to its mouth.
- northwest of the village center of Saint-Étienne;
- northeast of the confluence of the Petit Saguenay River with the Saguenay River;
- west of Tadoussac.
Toponymy
The toponym "rivière Saint-Athanase" refers to St. Athanasius, a patron of the Roman Catholic Church.The toponym "Saint-Athanase River" was formalized on December 5, 1968, at the Bank of place names of the Commission de toponymie du Quebec.