| Rivière à l'Ours | |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Canada |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Quebec |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean |
| Subdivision Type4: | MRC |
| Subdivision Name4: | Le Domaine-du-Roy |
| Subdivision Type5: | TNO or Municipality |
| Subdivision Name5: | Lac-Ashuapmushuan, Sainte-Hedwidge et Saint-Prime |
| Length: | 55km (34miles) |
| Source1: | Lac à l'Ours |
| Source1 Location: | Lac-Ashuapmushuan |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 48.4444°N -72.6192°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 416m (1,365feet) |
| Mouth: | Ashuapmushuan River |
| Mouth Location: | Saint-Prime |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 48.6467°N -72.3906°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 101m (331feet) |
| Progression: | Ashuapmushuan River, Lac Saint-Jean, Saguenay River |
| Tributaries Left: | (upstream) Petite rivière à l'Ours, unidentified stream, outlet of Lac des Étudiants, unidentified stream, outlet of a set of lakes including Lac Vert, unidentified stream, outlet of a set of lakes including Miroir Lake, outlet from Squatter Lake. |
| Tributaries Right: | (upstream) Rivière du Castor, Ovide River, 3 unidentified streams, outlet of Vinceset lake, outlet of Lac du Braconnier, unidentified stream, Petite rivière à l'Ours |
The Rivière à l'Ours is a tributary of Ashuapmushuan River, flowing successively in the unorganized territory of Lac-Ashuapmushuan, in the municipalities of Saint-Félicien and Saint-Prime, in the Le Domaine-du-Roy Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, in the province of Quebec, in Canada.
The upper part of the Bear River valley is served by forest roads.[1]
Forestry is the main economic activity in the upper part of this valley, as well as recreational tourism activities in the Zec de la Lièvre area; agriculture, in the lower part.
The surface of the Bear River is usually frozen from the beginning of December to the end of March, except the rapids areas; however, safe traffic on the ice is generally from mid-December to mid-March.
The Bear River has its source in Bear Lake (length: ; altitude:) in Zec de la Lièvre in the unorganized territory of Lac-Ashuapmushuan. This head lake hosted between the mountains, is mainly fed by the discharge (coming from the southwest) of a small unidentified lake, the discharge (coming from the west) of a set of lakes including Lac de Nuit, the outlet (coming from the north) of a set of lakes including Lac du Hibou and Lac Georges. The mouth of Lac à l'Ours is located at:
From the mouth of Lac à l'Ours, the Rivière à l'Ours flows over with a drop of, especially in forest areas (part upper), then agricultural in the lower part, according to the following segments:
The Bear River flows on the southwest bank of the Ashuapmushuan River, just downstream from a peninsula attached to the south bank and stretching to the north. From this confluence, the current goes around three islands. This confluence is located at:
From the mouth of the Bear River, the current descends the course of the Ashuapmushuan River towards the southeast on, then crosses Lake Saint-Jean east on (i.e. its full length), take the course of the Saguenay River via the Petite Décharge on east to Tadoussac where it merges with the Estuary of Saint Lawrence.[2]
The toponym "rivière à l'Ours" was formalized on December 5, 1968, at the Place Names Bank of the Commission de toponymie du Québec.[3]