Coulonge River
The Coulonge River (English: /kuːˈlɒndʒ/; French: [kulɔ̃ʒ]) is a predominantly wilderness river in western Quebec, Canada. One of a dozen or so significant tributaries of the Ottawa River, it has a length of 240 kilometres (150 mi) and a drainage area of 5,060 square kilometres (1,950 sq mi), and runs in a general south-eastern direction from its headwaters in Lac au Barrage (situated in La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve) to the Ottawa River at Fort-Coulonge. Over that distance, it drops approximately 260 meters (850 ft) — 48 meters (157 ft) of that over the massive Grandes or Coulonge Chutes, approximately 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) upstream of the confluence with the Ottawa River.
| Coulonge River | |
|---|---|
Coulonge River near Pont Davidson | |
| Native name | Rivière Coulonge (French) |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| State | Quebec |
| Region | Outaouais |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Lac au Barrage |
| • location | Lac-Pythonga, Quebec |
| • coordinates | 47°12′30″N 76°53′30″W |
| Mouth | Ottawa River |
• location | Fort-Coulonge, Quebec |
• coordinates | 45°51′44″N 76°45′54″W |
| Length | 240 km (150 mi) |
| Basin size | 5,060 km2 (1,950 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 75.35 m3/s (2,661 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Ottawa River→ St. Lawrence River→ Gulf of St. Lawrence |
| River system | Ottawa River drainage basin |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | East Coulonge River |
A popular river for whitewater canoeing enthusiasts, it is often grouped together with the Dumoine and Noire Rivers as three of a kind. The three rivers share the same watershed, and have similar whitewater characteristics. All three empty into the Ottawa River within a distance of 105 kilometers (65 mi) from one another.
The historic Félix-Gabriel-Marchand Bridge crosses the Coulonge River near Fort-Coulonge. Constructed in 1898, this 148.66 metres (487.7 ft) long bridge is the longest covered bridge in Quebec.