Rivière des Îlets

The Rivière des Îlets is a tributary of the southern bank of the upper part of the Rivière du Gouffre, flowing in the unorganized territory of Lac-Pikauba, in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada.

The lower part of this valley does not have roads suitable for cars because of the very mountainous terrain. The upper and middle parts of this valley are served by a few secondary forest roads which connect to the west with route 381. Forestry is the main economic activity in this valley; recreational tourism, second.

The surface of the lower Îlets river 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 upper part of this river has a freezing period of about one more week. The water level of the river varies with the seasons and the precipitation; the spring flood generally occurs in April.

Geography

The Îlets river rises from the Lac de la Haute Ville (length: 0.7 kilometres (0.43 mi); altitude: 949 metres (3,114 ft)) which is landlocked between mountains in a forest area. The mouth of the Upper Town lake is located on the eastern shore of the lake, either:

2.9 kilometres (1.8 mi) north-east of the center of the hamlet of La Galette;

2.9 kilometres (1.8 mi) east of the course of the Petite rivière Malbaie which runs along the route 381;

4.7 kilometres (2.9 mi) north-west of the summit (altitude: 955 metres (3,133 ft) of Mont Jean-Palardy;

8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) south-west of the summit (altitude: 959 metres (3,146 ft) of Mont du Gros Castor;

10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi) west of the summit (altitude: 980 metres (3,220 ft) of Mont du Four;

11.5 kilometres (7.1 mi) south-west of the mouth of the Îlets river (confluence with the rivière du Gouffre);

35.4 kilometres (22.0 mi) north-west of Baie-Saint-Paul town center.

From the Upper Town Lake, the course of the Îlets river descends on 15.1 kilometres (9.4 mi) in a generally deep valley, with a drop of 559 metres (1,834 ft), according to following segments:

1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) towards the east by crossing Lac de la Vase (which receives the outlet of Lac des Mouches on the south side), Lac Élysée (length: 0.39 kilometres (0.24 mi) ; altitude: 927 metres (3,041 ft)), to the bottom of a bay on the west shore of Lac des Îlets;

2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) first towards the northeast crossing Lac des Îlets (length: 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi); altitude: 925 metres (3,035 ft)), then two small lakes (Lac Willis and Lac Pouliot), up to a bend in the river.