Nottaway River
Encyclopedia
The Nottaway River is a river in Quebec
, Canada
. The river drains Lake Matagami
and travels 225 kilometres (139.8 mi) north-west before emptying into Rupert Bay at the south end of James Bay
. Its drainage basin is 65800 square kilometres (25,405.5 sq mi) and has a mean discharge of 1190 m³/s (1556 yd³/s). Its source is the head of the Mégiscane River, which is 776 kilometres (482.2 mi) from the mouth.
Significant lakes along its course are Soscumica Lake (50°15′N 77°27′W) and Dusaux Lake (50°45′00"N 77°53′30"W).
The Nottaway, together with the Broadback
and Rupert River
s, was initially considered to be dammed and developed as part of the James Bay Project
. But in 1972 hydro-electric development began on the more northerly La Grande
and Eastmain River
s, and the NBR Project was shelved. With the decision to divert the Rupert River to the La Grande, it is not likely that the Nottaway will be developed in the foreseeable future.
invaded the Algonquin territory near James Bay along this river. So when European cartographers started to map the river in the late seventeenth century, they called it "Rivière des Iroquois" (Iroquois River), as shown on maps of Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin
in 1699, Guillaume Delisle
in 1703, and Jacques-Nicolas Bellin
in 1744.
Yet various forms of "Nottaway" started to appear in the early 18th century. "Noddaways" in 1715, "Nodaway" in 1743, "Nodaoay" and "Nodway" in 1744. Geologists James Richardson and Albert Peter Low
used "Notaway River" in their reports (of 1880 and 1885 respectively). The current spelling "Nottaway" was established in the early twentieth century. It is beliefed to come from the Algonquin word nadowe, meaning "snake" and which the Algonquin tribes used to identify or describe their enemies, including the Iroquois. The Cree
called this river Natuweu Nipi, and the Iroquois name was Nottaweou.
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...
. The river drains Lake Matagami
Lake Matagami
Lake Matagami is a lake in south-western Quebec, Canada. It is located just north-northeast of the town of Matagami....
and travels 225 kilometres (139.8 mi) north-west before emptying into Rupert Bay at the south end of James Bay
James Bay
James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are part of Nunavut...
. Its drainage basin is 65800 square kilometres (25,405.5 sq mi) and has a mean discharge of 1190 m³/s (1556 yd³/s). Its source is the head of the Mégiscane River, which is 776 kilometres (482.2 mi) from the mouth.
Significant lakes along its course are Soscumica Lake (50°15′N 77°27′W) and Dusaux Lake (50°45′00"N 77°53′30"W).
The Nottaway, together with the Broadback
Broadback River
The Broadback River is a river in northern Quebec, Canada. It drains into Rupert Bay , just south of the Rupert River and Cree community Waskaganish...
and Rupert River
Rupert River
The Rupert River is one of the largest rivers in Quebec, Canada. From its headwaters in Lake Mistassini, the largest natural lake in Québec, it flows west into Rupert Bay on James Bay. The Rupert drains an area of . There is some extremely large whitewater on the river, but paddlers can avoid...
s, was initially considered to be dammed and developed as part of the James Bay Project
James Bay Project
The James Bay Project is a series of hydroelectric development with a combined installed capacity of over 16,000 megawatts built since 1974 for Hydro-Québec by the on the La Grande and other rivers of Northern Quebec....
. But in 1972 hydro-electric development began on the more northerly La Grande
La Grande River
La Grande River is a river in northwestern Quebec, Canada, which rises in the highlands of north central Quebec and flows roughly west to drain into James Bay. It is the second largest river in Quebec, surpassed only by the Saint Lawrence River....
and Eastmain River
Eastmain River
The Eastmain River is a river in northwestern Quebec which rises in north central Quebec and flows 800 km west to drain into James Bay. 'East Main' is an old name for the east side of James Bay. This river drains an area of 46,400 km²...
s, and the NBR Project was shelved. With the decision to divert the Rupert River to the La Grande, it is not likely that the Nottaway will be developed in the foreseeable future.
Toponymy
In the seventeenth century, the IroquoisIroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
invaded the Algonquin territory near James Bay along this river. So when European cartographers started to map the river in the late seventeenth century, they called it "Rivière des Iroquois" (Iroquois River), as shown on maps of Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin
Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin
Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin was born at Saint-Michel de Villebernin, France in 1651. He died in France around 1712. He was a cartographer, a royal hydrographer, and a teacher of navigation. He was also the first official cartographer in Canada....
in 1699, Guillaume Delisle
Guillaume Delisle
Guillaume Delisle was a French cartographer who lived in Paris.His father, Claude Delisle studied law and then later settled in Paris as private teacher in geography and history, and afterwards filled the office of royal censor...
in 1703, and Jacques-Nicolas Bellin
Jacques-Nicolas Bellin
Jacques Nicolas Bellin was a French hydrographer, geographer, and member of the French intellectual group called the philosophes....
in 1744.
Yet various forms of "Nottaway" started to appear in the early 18th century. "Noddaways" in 1715, "Nodaway" in 1743, "Nodaoay" and "Nodway" in 1744. Geologists James Richardson and Albert Peter Low
Albert Peter Low
Albert Peter Low was a Canadian geologist, explorer and athlete. His explorations of 1893–1895 were important in declaring Canada's sovereignty over the Arctic, and eventually defining the border between Quebec and Labrador....
used "Notaway River" in their reports (of 1880 and 1885 respectively). The current spelling "Nottaway" was established in the early twentieth century. It is beliefed to come from the Algonquin word nadowe, meaning "snake" and which the Algonquin tribes used to identify or describe their enemies, including the Iroquois. The Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
called this river Natuweu Nipi, and the Iroquois name was Nottaweou.
Tributaries
Major tributaries of the Nottaway River include:- Kitchigama River
- Lake MatagamiLake MatagamiLake Matagami is a lake in south-western Quebec, Canada. It is located just north-northeast of the town of Matagami....
- Allard River
- Bell River
- Rivière Laflamme
- Rivière Mégiscane
- Waswanipi River
- Chibougamau River
- Opawica River