Rivière à l'Épaule

Rivière à l'Épaule
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionCapitale-Nationale
Regional County MunicipalityLa Jacques-Cartier and La Côte-de-Beaupré
Unorganized territory and a municipalityLac-Jacques-Cartier and Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury
Physical characteristics
SourcePetit lac à l'Épaule
  locationLac-Jacques-Cartier
  coordinates47°07′11″N 71°21′30″W / 47.11972°N 71.35833°W / 47.11972; -71.35833
  elevation772
MouthJacques-Cartier River
  location
Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury
  coordinates
47°07′11″N 71°21′34″W / 47.11972°N 71.35944°W / 47.11972; -71.35944
  elevation
243 m
Length25.0 km (15.5 mi)
Basin features
Tributaries 
  right(Upward from the mouth) Discharge of an unidentified mountain lake, discharge of a little and unidentified mountain lake, discharge of lac Huppé.

The Rivière à l'Épaule (pronounced [ʁivjɛʁ a lepol]; French for 'Shoulder River') is a tributary of the Jacques-Cartier River, flowing in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in Quebec, Canada. The course of the river crosses the unorganized territory of Lac-Jacques-Cartier in the La Côte-de-Beaupré Regional County Municipality, as well as the township municipality unis de Stoneham-et-Tewkesbury, located in the MRC La Jacques-Cartier Regional County Municipality.

The course of the river flows entirely in the Jacques-Cartier National Park (at the eastern limit of the park) which is affiliated with the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq).

The Rivière à l'Épaule valley is mainly served on the east side by the route 175 which links the towns of Quebec and Saguenay. Some secondary roads serve this area for forestry and recreational tourism activities.

Forestry is the main economic activity in the sector; recreational tourism, second.

The surface of the Rivière à l'Épaule (except the rapids) is generally frozen from the beginning of December to the end of March; safe circulation on the ice is generally done from the end of December to the beginning of March.