| Rivière du Sault | |
| Name Other: | Old name: and |
| Pushpin Map: | Quebec |
| 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: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name5: | Petite-Rivière-Saint-François |
| Length: | 12km (07miles) |
| Source1: | Lake in mountain |
| Source1 Location: | Petite-Rivière-Saint-François |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 47.3038°N -70.6354°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 668 m |
| Mouth: | Ruisseau de la Martine |
| Mouth Location: | Petite-Rivière-Saint-François |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 47.3472°N -70.5597°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 108 m |
The rivière du Sault (English: Sault River) is a tributary of the west bank of the ruisseau de la Martine on the northwest bank of the Saint-Laurent river. This river flows in the municipality of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the region Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada.
The route 138 runs along the west side of the upper part of this small valley. While the main street of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François descends the mountain on the northeast side of the course of this river. The economic activities of this valley are concentrated on the bank of the river where recreational tourism activities (notably vacationing) are developed. In addition, the peaks and flanks of the surrounding mountains are used for recreational tourism activities, in particular the important alpine ski center of the "Massif de Charlevoix" which is located very close to the east side of the upper part of this river and whose side of the mountain built for alpine skiing faces the river.
The surface of the lower part of the Sault River is generally frozen from the beginning of December until the end of March, except the backwater zones; however, safe traffic on the ice is generally from mid-December to mid-March. The upper part has an additional week's freezing period. The water level of the river varies with the seasons and the precipitation; the spring flood occurs in March or April.
The Sault river rises at the mouth of a small lake (length: ; altitude:), on the north side of a summit of mountain in the municipality of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François. This source is located at:
From its source, the course of this river descends on with a drop of, according to the following segments:
The Sault river flows on the northwest shore of the Saint Lawrence river, in the municipality of Petite-Rivière-Saint-François. This confluence is located at:
From the confluence of the Sault river, the current flows over generally towards the south-east by the course of the ruisseau de la Martine by cutting the Principale street from Petite-Rivière-Saint-François and the railway, to the northwest shore of the Saint Lawrence River.[1]
This river is designated "Rivière du Sault" (today "Ruisseau de la Martine") by the cartographer Joseph Bouchette, on his topographic maps of 1815 and 1831. The acronym "Ruisseau du Sot" later becomes usage to designate this watercourse; this variant reflects the spelling used in Bouchette's time. It refers to a sault which is defined as a more or less significant slope break.
The toponym "rivière du Sault" was formalized on November 13, 2006 at the Place Names Bank of the Commission de toponymie du Québec.[2]