Pipmuacan Reservoir

The Pipmuacan Reservoir (French: Réservoir Pipmuacan) is a man-made lake on the boundary of the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and Côte-Nord regions of Quebec, Canada, about 130 kilometres (81 mi) north of Chicoutimi. It is used to control the flow for downstream hydro-electric generating stations on the Betsiamites River and, through Lake Pamouscachiou, also on the Shipshaw River. It has a total surface area of 978 square kilometres (378 sq mi) and a net area (water only) of 802 square kilometres (310 sq mi).^[2]

Pipmuacan Reservoir
Partial view of Pipmuacan Reservoir from the International Space Station
Pipmuacan Reservoir
Location	Mont-Valin, Le Fjord-du-Saguenay Regional County Municipality / Lac-au-Brochet, La Haute-Côte-Nord Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Coordinates	49°39′42″N 70°16′18″W
Type	artificial
Primary inflows	Betsiamites River
Primary outflows	Betsiamites River and Shipshaw River
Basin countries	Canada
Max. length	150 km (93 mi) [1]
Max. width	19 km (12 mi) [1]
Surface area	978 km2 (378 sq mi) [2]
Water volume	13.9 km3 (3.3 cu mi)
Surface elevation	396 m (1,300 ft) [2]

The reservoir is shaped highly irregularly, with many deep bays, dotted with islands in its western section, and characterized by a large rounded peninsula in the centre. Primary tributaries are the Betsiamites, Sylvestre, Hirondelles, and Pipmuacan Rivers.^[1]

The reservoir is named after Lake Pipmuacan that was flooded during the formation of the reservoir. The name is of Innu origin, that may mean "arrow". The Geographic Board reported in 1960 that "according to the missionaries of the Côte-Nord, the Innu had given this name to the lake in remembrance of their last fight with the Iroquois on Mount Pigmaugan (Pipmuacan) that overlooks the water." Other spelling variations before standardization include Pipmuakan, Pipmaugan, and Pipmakan.^[1]

The sport fish found in Pipmuacan Reservoir are northern pike, lake trout, brook trout, and lake whitefish. Outfitters provide fishing excursions and accommodations at the reservoir.

History

The Pipmuacan Reservoir was formed in October 1953 when Hydro-Québec began construction on the dams and power plant of Bersimis-1. The first dam, 674 m (2,211 ft) long and 74 m (243 ft) high, was built between two mountains surrounding Lake Cassé, and the second, 315 m (1,033 ft) long, curtailed the release of water into the Desroches River.^[3] The reservoir's spillway was cut through a mountain between the two dams. By 1956, the construction work was completed.

In 2002, Hydro-Québec diverted part of the Portneuf River to the north into the Pipmuacan Reservoir to increase the capacity of the Bersimis power stations.^[4] The partial diversion of the Sault aux Cochons River is being studied to further optimize the operation of the existing stations.

References

1. "Réservoir Pipmuacan" (in French). Commission de toponymie du Québec. Retrieved 2010-12-14.
2. Natural Resources Canada, Atlas of Canada - Lakes Archived 2007-02-02 at the Wayback Machine
3. Benoît, Jos (July 1954), "Bersimis", Trait d'union, vol. 1, no. 7, Quebec Hydroelectric Commission
4. M. Belles-Îles and I. Simard, Dérivation partielle de la rivière Portneuf. Suivi environnemental 2005 en phase exploitation – Passe migratoire Portneuf. Groupe conseil Génivar inc. for Hydro-Québec, Montréal, 2005

External links

• "Giant of the North" Popular Mechanics, December 1943, article on the crash program to create the Shipshaw hydroelectric project