Le Gros Bras Explained

Le Gros Bras
Subdivision Type1:	Country
Subdivision Name1:	Canada
Subdivision Type2:	Province
Subdivision Name2:	Quebec
Subdivision Type3:	Region
Subdivision Name3:	Capitale-Nationale
Subdivision Type4:	Regional County Municipality
Subdivision Name4:	Charlevoix Regional County Municipality
Subdivision Type5:	Unorganized territory and municipality
Subdivision Name5:	Lac-Pikauba and Saint-Urbain
Length:	22.4km (13.9miles)
Source1:	Confluence of forest streams
Source1 Location:	Lac-Pikauba
Source1 Coordinates:	47.6974°N -70.653°W
Source1 Elevation:	710m (2,330feet)
Mouth:	Rivière du Gouffre
Mouth Location:	Saint-Urbain
Mouth Coordinates:	47.5717°N 70.4419°W
Mouth Elevation:	60m (200feet)
Tributaries Left:	(upstream from the mouth) Unidentified stream, discharge from two small lakes, discharge from a small lake, two streams, discharge from an unidentified lake, discharge from Lac Le Gros Brook, unidentified stream.
Tributaries Right:	(upstream from the mouth) Unidentified stream, Le Petit Bras (Le Gros Bras), discharge from a small lake, Parent stream, Rivière des Monts, Le Gros Ruisseau, discharge from a small lake, unidentified stream.

Le Gros Bras (English: The Big Arm) is a tributary of the eastern bank of the lower part of the rivière du Gouffre, flowing in the unorganized territory of Lac-Pikauba and the municipality of Saint-Urbain, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. The upper part of this watercourse begins in Grands-Jardins National Park.

This valley is mainly served by the route 138 whose segment near the Saint-Laurent river is designated boulevard Monseigneur de Laval; then consecutively going up north rue Saint-Édouard in Saint-Urbain, chemin Saint-François entering the forest zone, then "chemin du Parc-des-Grands-Jardins" further north. Forestry is the main economic activity in this valley; recreational tourism, second.

The surface of Le Gros Bras is generally frozen from the beginning of December until the beginning of April; however, safe circulation on the ice is generally done from mid-December to the end of March. The water level of the river varies with the seasons and the precipitation; the spring flood generally occurs in April.

Geography

The Gros Bras rises at the confluence of two forest streams (altitude:) located in the forest zone and encased between Mont Jean-Palardy (located 0.5 km from the west side, altitude:) and another mountain (located 1.2 km from the northeast side, altitude:). This source of the river is located at:

east of a curve of the course of the upper part of the Malbaie River;
north-west of the village center of Saint-Urbain;
north-west of the mouth of the Gros Bras (confluence with the Gouffre river);
north-west of Baie-Saint-Paul town center.

From its source, the course of Le Gros Bras descends on in a generally deep valley, with a drop of, according to the following segments:

towards the south-east in a deep valley by collecting the discharge (coming from the south-west) of a small lake, until the discharge (coming from the north-east) of the Lake du Gros Ruisseau;
towards the south-east in a deep valley, by collecting the discharge (coming from the north-east) of Lake Georges, then by forming a small loop towards the south-west, that is to say on the side north of a campsite in the park, and leaving Grands-Jardins National Park at the end of the segment and passing in front of the hamlet "Le Pied-des-Monts", up to a stream (coming from the north -Where is). Note: this confluence is very close to the eastern limit of the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve;
towards the south-east in Saint-Urbain by collecting the discharge (coming from the west) of a small lake and by forming a loop towards the south-west where an exploitation is located mining, to the confluence of the Rivière des Monts (coming from the west);
to the southeast by forming a small loop to the northeast, to Parent stream (coming from the west);
towards the south-east by forming some isolated serpentines, in a deep valley, and by collecting the discharge (coming from the west) of a small lake, until the confluence of the Le Petit Bras (coming from the southwest);
towards the south-east by crossing the route 381 and forming a loop towards the south, until its mouth.

The Gros Bras flows downstream from a river loop on the west bank of the Rivière du Gouffre, in the municipality of Saint-Urbain. This mouth is located at:

upstream of the road bridge in the village of Saint-Urbain;
north-west of the village center of Saint-Urbain;
south-west of the village center of Saint-Hilarion;
north-west of Baie-Saint-Paul town center;
south-west of La Malbaie town center.

From the mouth of Le Gros Bras, the current descends on with a drop of following the course of the Rivière du Gouffre which flows into Baie-Saint-Paul in the St. Lawrence River.^[1]

Toponymy

This toponymic designation appeared for the first time on a map in 1870.^[2] This designation is always used by local informants. The name appears on the draft of the Saint-Urbain map, 1958-12-17, item 170. The toponymic variants are: Bras Nord-Ouest, Rivière à Yves and Rivière du Gros Bras.

The toponym "Le Gros Bras" was formalized on December 5, 1968 at the Place Names Bank of the Commission de toponymie du Québec.^[3]

Appendices

External links

Notes and References

https://atlas.gc.ca/toporama/en/index.html Atlas du Canada - Department of Natural Resources Canada - Le Gros Bras - Distance and altitude measurements based on the application of site measurements.
Toponymic directory of the Grands-Jardins region, cited on the Place Names Bank of the Commission de toponymie du Québec.
http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/ToposWeb/fiche.aspx?no_seq=27109 Commission de toponymie du Québec - Bank of Place Names - Toponym: Le Gros Bras