Lake Mégantic

Lake Mégantic (French: Lac Mégantic, French pronunciation: [lak meɡɑ̃tik]) is a body of water in Québec, located in the Appalachian Mountains near the U.S. border. It is a source of the Chaudière River which drains into the St Lawrence River at Québec City.[1] The lake has a surface area of 26.4 km2 (10.2 sq mi) with several villages and small towns on its shores, including Lac-Mégantic, Frontenac, Marston, and Piopolis. It is part of Le Granit Regional County Municipality, a rural region where forestry and granite extraction are important activities.[2]

"Lac Mégantic" redirects here. For the town named after the lake, see Lac-Mégantic. For the July 2013 train derailment, see Lac-Mégantic derailment. For other uses, see Mégantic.
Lake Mégantic
Lac Mégantic
Lake Mégantic in Piopolis
Lake MéganticLac Mégantic is located in Quebec
Lake MéganticLac Mégantic
Lake Mégantic
Lac Mégantic
LocationLe Granit Regional County Municipality, Estrie, Quebec, Canada
Coordinates45°30′50″N 70°52′38″W
TypeGlacial lake
Primary inflowsArnold River
Primary outflowsChaudière River
Basin countriesCanada
Max. length16 kilometres (9.9 mi)
Max. width3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi)
Surface area26.4 square kilometres (10.2 sq mi)
Average depth75 m (246 ft)
Shore length145.4 km (28.2 mi)
Surface elevation395 metres (1,296 ft)
SettlementsLac-Mégantic, Frontenac, Marston, and Piopolis
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Toponymy

The name may derive from Namagôntekw, which in the Abenaki language means place where there is trout in the lake. The name has had many variants, including Amaguntik on maps documenting the 1775 American invasion of Quebec.[3]

Physical geography

The water surface is 395 m (1,296 ft) above mean sea level and the lake has an average depth of 75 m (246 ft); its total surface area is 26.4 square kilometres (10.2 sq mi), with a total shoreline of 45.4 km (28.2 mi). Its length is about 16 km (9.9 mi) and it has an average width of 3.5 km (2.2 mi).

Conservation

It is the site of the Lake Megantic Marsh, a 755 hectare habitat that hosts migratory birds and is a breeding site.[4]

References
  1. "Comité de bassin de la Rivière Chaudière". COBARIC (in French). Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  2. "MRC du Granit". Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  3. "Lac Mégantic". www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca. Commission de Topynomie Québec. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  4. "Lake Megantic Marsh". www.ducks.ca. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
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