Gatineau River Watershed Profile
The Gatineau River Watershed is located in the Southwest of the province of Quebec. It is surrounded by Lièvre to the East, Coulonge to the West, and Saint-Maurice to the North.
- Drainage Area: 40 254 km2
- General Direction Flow: Southerly
- Headwaters: Near Parent, in the Haute-Mauricie region.
- Confluence: The Ottawa River at the Pointe-Gatineau sector of the city of Gatineau.
- Towns and Cities: The watershed touches five administrative regions, the principal ones being la Mauricie, les Laurentides and the Outaouais regions.
- Approximate Population: 96, 366 inhabitants (over half live in the City of Gatineau)
- Total Length: ~520 km
- Elevation: 490 metres
- Average Flow: 350m3/sec (Paugan Power Station)
- Predominant Land Use: More than 80% forested
- Rivers and Tributaries: The Gatineau River watershed is composed of eight secondary watersheds: River and Desert Lakes, Kazabazua, and Gens de Terre Rivers, Thirty-one Mile Lake, Cabonga Basin, Petawaga, Clova and Bazin Lakes. Some 50 rivers run into the Gatineau River.
- Lakes: More than 19,000. The Principle ones are Dumont Lake, Blue Sea, Petit Lac des Cedres, Grand Lac des Cedres, Heney, Pemichangan, Roddick, Cayamant, Sainte-Marie andThirty-one Mile Lake; and two reservoirs, Baskatong and Cabonga.
Adapted from COMGA's Summary of the Gatineau River Watershed Portrait