Southwest Branch Saint John River

Southwest Branch Saint John River
Countries	Canada, United States
States	Quebec, Maine
Basin
Main source	Little Saint John Lake (French: Petit lac Saint-Jean), Maine–Quebec border 489 metres (1,604 ft) 46°06′19″N 70°15′09″W / 46.10528°N 70.25250°W / 46.10528; -70.25250
River mouth	Saint John River 333 metres (1,093 ft) 46°33′46″N 69°53′06″W / 46.56278°N 69.88500°W / 46.56278; -69.88500Coordinates: 46°33′46″N 69°53′06″W / 46.56278°N 69.88500°W / 46.56278; -69.88500
Alt. difference	156 metres (512 ft)
Physical characteristics
Length	91.9 kilometres (57.1 mi)
Features
Tributaries	Left: (from the mouth) In Maine: Carter Brook; in Quebec: Doucet Brook, Morning North Brook, Morning South Brook, discharge of Lac Croche, discharge of 3 unnamed little lakes, discharge of Giguère lake, discharge of Joli lake. Right: (from the mouth) In Maine: Knowles Brook, Doucie Brook, Little Southwest Branch, Dead brook.

The Southwest Branch Saint John River (French: Rivière Saint-Jean Sud-Ouest) is a 62.0-mile-long (99.8 km)^[1] river in Maine and Quebec. The branch originates in "Little Saint John Lake" (46°06′18″N 70°15′09″W / 46.1050°N 70.2524°W / 46.1050; -70.2524) on the international boundary between Saint-Zacharie, Quebec and Seboomook Lake Township 5, Range 20, WELS. The branch forms the Canada–United States border as it flows northeasterly to a confluence with the Little Southwest Branch Saint John River in Seboomook Lake Township 9, Range 18, WELS. The Southwest Branch flows briefly into Quebec (46°24′58″N 70°03′24″W / 46.4162°N 70.0567°W / 46.4162; -70.0567 (Canada – United States border)) and then through Maine to its confluence with the Baker Branch Saint John River in Seboomook Lake Township 9, Range 17, WELS. The Southwest Branch finally joins with the Northwest Branch to form the Saint John River.

Geography

The "Southwest Branch Saint John River" rises at the mouth of the "Little Saint John Lake" (length: 1.0 kilometre (0.62 mi); height: 489 metres (1,604 ft)) which straddles the border between the Canada (Quebec, MRC Les Etchemins Regional County Municipality) and the United States (Maine, Somerset County, Maine). This lake which empties at the North is surrounded by mountains.

The "Little Saint John Lake" is located on the East side of the watershed line corresponding to the crest of surrounding mountains. The Metgermette North River (in Quebec) drains the Northwest side of this watershed slope. The West slope falls toward "Hurricane Pond" for which water empties on Southwest (Maine), through tributary "Hurricane Brook"; then the current runs down Southwest successively into Dole Brook and North Branch Penobscot River.

The mouth of the "Little Saint John Lake" is located on the Canada-US border:

2.2 kilometres (1.4 mi) south of the top of a mountain Maine, whose altitude is 578 metres (1,896 ft);
8.6 kilometres (5.3 mi) to the southeast from the village of Saint-Zacharie, Quebec;
20.7 kilometres (12.9 mi) north-east from the village of Armstrong in Saint-Théophile, Québec.

From the mouth of the "Little Lake St John", the "Saint John River West" runs on 91.9 kilometres (57.1 mi) of which 54.6 kilometres (33.9 mi) delimiting the Canada-US border in its upper part and then flows on 37.3 kilometres (23.2 mi) in the Maine. Its course describes the following segments:

Higher Courses of the "Southwest Branch Saint John River"(segment of 26.1 kilometres (16.2 mi) delimiting the Canada-US border)

2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) Northward, up to a stream (from the West, i.e. from the North Metgermette Township, in Quebec);
0.8 kilometres (0.50 mi) Northward, up to a stream (from the East, i.e. from the Somerset County, Maine);
3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) Northward, meandering up to a stream (from the Southeast);
9.6 kilometres (6.0 mi) (or 6.1 kilometres (3.8 mi) in direct line) to the northwest, winding up to the discharge of Lake Joli (from the West, i.e. from Quebec);
5.2 kilometres (3.2 mi) to the northeast, to the limit of the township of Langevin (municipality of Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague, Quebec;
4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) to the Northeast, up to the discharge (from the West) of Lake Veilleux and Lake Croche.

Intermediate Course of the "Southwest Saint John River" (segment of 28.5 kilometres (17.7 mi) delimiting Canada-US border)

8.8 kilometres (5.5 mi) to the Northeast, up to Morning Creek South (from the Southwest);
1.0 kilometre (0.62 mi) to the Northeast, up to Morning Creek North (from Northwest);
3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi) to the Northeast snaking up to the limit of the Bellechasse Regional County Municipality, Quebec (township Daaquam);
4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) to the Northeast, up to a stream (from the Northwest, i.e. from Saint-Camille-de-Lellis, Quebec);
6.6 kilometres (4.1 mi) (or 3.0 kilometres (1.9 mi) in direct line) to the Northeast, winding up to Doucet stream (from the Northwest, i.e. from Saint-Camille-de-Lellis, Quebec);
2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) to the Northeast and winding up to "Little Southwest Branch" (French: "Petite branche Sud-Ouests" (from the South) i.e. from the township T8 R18 WELS of Maine);
1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) to the Northeast up to the point where the "Southwest Branch Saint John River" ceases to serve as Canada-US border.

Lower course of the river, downstream of Canada-US border (segment of 21.4 kilometres (13.3 mi) flowing especially in Maine)

1.1 kilometres (0.68 mi) Northward, with a detour to the West in the Quebec, to return up to the US border;
5.8 kilometres (3.6 mi) to Northeast in the Maine up to Carter Creek (from the West, the RCM to be Montmagny Regional County Municipality in Quebec). Note: This stream flows mainly in Quebec and only 0.9 kilometres (0.56 mi) in Maine;
3.0 kilometres (1.9 mi) to the Northeast, up to a stream (from the West). Note: This stream drains a marsh area of the eastern part of the township of Panet, then flows over 2.1 kilometres (1.3 mi) in Maine;
4.0 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the Northeast, up to a stream (from the north);
7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) to the southeast, up to the confluence of the Baker Branch Saint John River.

Lower course of the river, downstream of the Baker Branch Saint John River (segment 15.9 kilometres (9.9 mi) flowing especially in Maine)

2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) eastward to the highway bridge;
6.0 kilometres (3.7 mi) to the Northeast, to Knowles stream (from the east);
7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) to the northeast, to the confluence of the river ^[2]

At its confluence, the "Southwest Branch Saint John River" joins the "Northwest Branch Saint John River" whose source is at the mouth of Lake Frontier, in Quebec. This junction of the confluence of the two rivers is the head of the Saint John River.^[3]

From the confluence of the "Southwest Branch Saint John River", the Saint John River flows to the East and Northeast through the Maine; then East and Southeast through the New Brunswick. The Saint John River flows on the North bank of the Bay of Fundy which opens to the Southwest to the Atlantic Ocean.

Toponymy

The name "Southwest Branch Saint John River" derives from the name of its parent river, the Saint John River. The cardinal points integrated in the place-name distinguish the two main tributaries of the upper part of the Saint John River.

During his exploratory expedition of 1604 of the south coast of current New Brunswick, Samuel de Champlain named this river the Saint John River because it is consistent with the saint of the day in the calendar of Christendom.

In history, the current Southwest Branch Saint John River was commonly referred to as "Saint John River" (like the main stem), especially in a 1863 report of the surveyor Eugene Casgrain, describing the township of Daaquam. The editions of 1914 and 1925 of Dictionnaire des rivières et lacs de la province de Québec (Dictionary of rivers and lakes in the province of Quebec) refer to the hydronym of "St. John River".

The 1925 map of township Metgermette North indicates "St. John River West Branch" and that of Daaquam township of 1927. Subsequently, several maps and documents published refer to the cardinal point. The "Répertoire géographique du Québec" (English: Geographical Gazetteer of Quebec) of 1969 indicates "Rivière Saint-Jean" (English: Saint John River).

In 1975 the "Commission de toponymie du Québec" (Quebec Places Names Board) officially changed this hydronym to Rivière Saint-Jean Sud-Ouest (English: Southwest Branch Saint John River).^[4]

The place name Rivière Saint-Jean Sud-Ouest was formalized on December 2, 1975, by the Commission de toponymie du Québec (Quebec Names Board)^[5]

References

↑ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed June 22, 2011
↑ Segments of the river measured from the Atlas of Canada (posted on Internet), Department of Natural Resources of Natural Canada
↑ Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)
↑ Noms et lieux du Québec (Names and locations of Quebec), the work of the "Commission de toponymie du Québec" (Quebec Place Names Board), published in 1994 and 1996 in the form of a printed illustrated dictionary, and under that of a CD produced by the Micro-Intel in 1997 from the dictionary.
↑ Geographical names Board of Quebec - Banque des noms de lieux (Place names Bank) - Toponym: "Rivière Saint-Jean Sud-Ouest" (English: Southwest Branch Saint John River)

"Southwest Branch Saint John River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 30 September 1980. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
Maine Streamflow Data from the USGS
Maine Watershed Data From Environmental Protection Agency

Saint John River Watershed

Tributaries	Allagash River Aroostook River Baker Branch Saint John River Becaguimec Stream Big Black River Birch River Blackwater River Campbell Branch Little Black River River De Chute Daaquam River Fish River Hammond River Jemseg River Kennebecasis River Keswick River Little Black River Little Machias River Little Madawaska River Little River Little Saint Roch River Little Southwest Branch Saint John River Machias River Madawaska River Meduxnekeag River Musquacook Stream Nashwaak River Nerepis River North Branch Birch River North Branch Blackwater River North Branch Meduxnekeag River Northwest Branch Saint John River Oromocto River Red River Saint Croix Stream Saint Francis River Shields Branch South Branch Birch River South Branch Blackwater River South Branch Machias River South Branch Meduxnekeag River Southwest Branch Saint John River Tobique River West Branch Little Black River

Lakes	Baker Lake Beau Lake Chemquasabamticook Lake Churchill Lake Clear Lake Cross Lake Eagle Lake (Allagash R.) Eagle Lake (Fish R.) Fish River Lake Glazier Lake Grand Lake Long Lake Mactaquac Lake Millinocket Lake Mud Lake Munsungan Lake Musquacook Lakes Lake Pohenegamook Portage Lake Saint Froid Lake Saint John Ponds Scopan Lake Square Lake Umsaskis Lake

Towns	Allagash Ashland Blaine Bridgewater Caribou Eagle Lake Easton Edmundston Florenceville-Bristol Fort Fairfield Fort Kent Fredericton Frenchville Grand Bay–Westfield Grand Falls Grand Isle Hampton Hartland Hodgdon Houlton Lac-Frontière Limestone Littleton Madawaska Mapleton Mars Hill Masardis Monticello Nackawic New Limerick Oromocto Perham Perth-Andover Pohénégamook Portage Lake Presque Isle Quispamsis Rivière-Bleue Rothesay Sainte Agatha Saint-Camille-de-Lellis Saint-Cyprien Saint Francis Saint John Saint-Just-de-Bretenières Saint-Léonard Saint-Marcel Saint-Pamphile Saint-Zacharie Stockholm Sussex Van Buren Washburn Westfield Woodstock

Landmarks	Allagash Wilderness Waterway Bangor and Aroostook Railroad Clair–Fort Kent Bridge Edmundston–Madawaska Bridge Florenceville Bridge Fort Kent Hartland Bridge North Maine Woods Reversing Falls Saint John Harbour Bridge Saint John River High Level Crossing Saint Leonard–Van Buren Bridge Tinker Dam Watson Settlement Bridge

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Southwest Branch Saint John River

Geography

Toponymy

See also

References