Ashuapmushuan Lake

Ashuapmushuan Lake is a freshwater body of the Lac-Ashuapmushuan, Quebec unorganized territory of the Regional County Municipality (MRC) Le Domaine-du-Roy, north-west of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean administrative region, in province of Quebec, Canada.

Ashuapmushuan Lake
Location	Le Domaine-du-Roy (RCM)
Coordinates	49°09′35″N 73°45′12″W
Type	Natural
Primary inflows	(clockwise) Normandin River outlet of a set of lakes such Yvette, de l'Arrachis, Érato, des Cassides and Idéal Licorne River outlet of a set of lakes such Guignard, Antailla and Nicole outlet of a set of lakes such Salien, Avuagour, Braque, Noignie, de la Portée and de la Dépression outlet of lake de la Tranchée, outlet of a set of lakes such Laon, Flers and Morey outlet of lakes Braille and Bluteau Marquette River outlet of Coincé Lake.
Primary outflows	Normandin River
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	13.4 kilometres (8.3 mi)
Max. width	2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi)
Surface area	28.17 kilometres (17.50 mi)
Surface elevation	371 metres (1,217 ft)

This lake is fully contained in the township of Lorne and the Ashuapmushuan Wildlife Reserve.

Forestry is the main economic activity of the sector. Recreational tourism activities come second.

The forest road route 167 linking Chibougamau and Saint-Félicien, Quebec passes to the northeast of the lake, as well as the Canadian National Railway. Other secondary forest roads serve the vicinity of the lake.

The surface of Ashuapmushuan Lake is usually frozen from early November to mid-May, however, safe ice movement is generally from mid-November to mid-April.

Geography

This lake has a length of 13.4 kilometres (8.3 mi) oriented north-west, a maximum width of 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) and an altitude of 371 metres (1,217 ft). Towards the center of the lake, a first bay stretches over 0.8 kilometres (0.50 mi) to the east; a second stretches southward on 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi). In addition, a third bay stretches 0.5 metres (1 ft 8 in) northeasterly from its southern tip to the mouth of the Licorne River.

The mouth of Lake Ashuapmushuan is located at:

• 8.8 kilometres (5.5 mi) southwesterly of the route 167;
• 12.3 kilometres (7.6 mi) south of the mouth of the Hilarion River (confluence with the Ashuapmushuan River);
• 122.4 kilometres (76.1 mi) northwest of the mouth of the Ashuapmushuan River (confluence with lac Saint-Jean);
• 160.7 kilometres (99.9 mi) east of the mouth of lac Saint-Jean (confluence with the Saguenay River);
• 292 kilometres (181 mi) east of the mouth of the Saguenay River (confluence with the Estuary of Saint Lawrence.[1]

The main hydrographic slopes near Lake Ashuapmushuan are:

• North side: Aigremont Lake, Denaut Lake, Ashuapmushuan River, La Loche River;
• East side: Chiboubiche Lake, Licorne River, Ashuapmushuan River, Chigoubiche River;
• South side: Arlequin Creek, Marquette River, Laon Lake;
• West side: Marquette River West, Poutrincourt Lake, Normandin River.

From the mouth of Ashuapmushuan Lake, the current of the Ashuapmushuan River flows northward on 35.9 kilometres (22.3 mi), then 144 kilometres (89 mi) south-east to its confluence with lac Saint-Jean where it empties onto the west shore.

Toponymy

On the peninsula at the northwestern end of the lake, at the confluence of the Marquette River, Normandin River, and Ashuapmushuan River, a trading post was built in the early eighteenth century. It has been in operation for several decades.

In the Ilnue language, ashuapmushuan means "where moose are being watched". Since the late nineteenth century, a dozen different spellings of the name of this body of water has been noted, whose form "Lac Chamouchouan" noted on a map of 1897.[2] · [3] · [4] · [5] · [6]

The toponym "Lac Ashuapmushuan" was formalized on October 5, 1982, by the Commission de toponymie du Québec.[7]

Notes and references

1. Distances measured from the Atlas of Canada (published on the Internet) of the Department of Natural Resources Canada.
2. BUIS, Arthur, Le Saguenay et la vallée du lac St-Jean » (English: The Saguenay and the Lac St-Jean valley): [...]", Quebec, 1880, 342 pages.
3. GIROUX, Thomas-Edmond, De Québec au lac Saint-Jean » (English : From Quebec to Lac Saint-Jean) [... ]", Editions Science Moderne, Chicoutimi, Saguenay Historical Society Publications, No. 32, 1977, 192 pages.
4. O'SULLIVAN, Henry, Rapport préliminaire sur l'exploration de l'étendue de pays comprise entre le lac Saint-Jean et la Baie de James" (English: Preliminary report on the Exploration of the extent of the country between Lake Saint-Jean and James Bay): [..]", Quebec, 1898, 23 pages.
5. WILSON, Larry, L'appel du Chibougamau : l'histoire d'une région minière du Québec" (English: The Chibougamau's Call: The History of a Mining Region of Quebec), Montreal, 1956, 184 pages.
6. Histoire de Saint-Félicien 1865-1965 (English: History of Saint-Félicien 1865- 1965), Committee on History and Centennial Commission, Saint-Félicien, 1965, 296 pages.
7. Commission de toponymie du Quebec - List of Place Names - Toponym: "Ashuapmushuan Lake"

See also

• Saguenay River
• Lac Saint-Jean, a body of water
• Ashuapmushuan River, a watercourse
• Normandin River, a watercourse
• Marquette River, a watercourse
• Le Domaine-du-Roy, a regional county municipality (MRC)
• Lac-Ashuapmushuan, Quebec, an unorganized territory
• Ashuapmushuan Wildlife Reserve
• List of lakes in Canada