Opataca Lake

Lake Opataca is a body of water in the Broadback River watershed in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay (municipality) area in the Nord-du-Québec, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. This lake is part of territory of the Assinica Wildlife Sanctuary.

Opataca Lake
Watershed of Broadback River
Opataca Lake is located in Quebec
Opataca Lake
Opataca Lake
LocationEeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government
Coordinates50°23′57″N 74°54′42″W
TypeNatural
Primary inflows
  • Outlet of a set of lakes such as Oudiette and Guigues (North side)
  • outlet of an unidentified lake (East side)
  • outlet of a set of unidentified lakes (South-East side)
  • outlet of a set of lakes (West side).
Primary outflowsCachisca Lake
Basin countriesCanada
Max. length40 kilometres (25 mi)
Max. width17.5 kilometres (10.9 mi)
Surface area63.43 kilometres (39.41 mi)
Surface elevation366 metres (1,201 ft)

The southern part of the lake is part of the canton of Livilier. Lake Opataca is part of a group of lakes at the head of the [Broadback River].

Forestry is the main economic activity of the sector. Recreational tourism activities come second.

The nearest forest road is located at 21.9 kilometres (13.6 mi) south-east of the lake, the road skirting Mount Opémisca from the north; this road joins Southbound on route 113 (connecting Lebel-sur-Quévillon to Chibougamau) and the Canadian National Railway.

The surface of Opataca Lake is usually frozen from early November to mid-May, however, safe ice circulation is generally mid-November to mid-April.

Geography
Opataca Lake has a length of 40.0 kilometres (24.9 mi), a maximum width of 17.5 kilometres (10.9 mi) and an altitude of 366 metres (1,201 ft). The shape of the lake is everything in length, except the central part facing the mouth which has an enlargement forming a large bay on the west side leading to the mouth.

Opataca Lake is embedded between the slopes of the Brock River North at east, and at west, the lakes Cachisca and Comencho. Lake Opataca is surrounded by mountains with dozens of peaks exceeding 400 metres (1,300 ft).

The mouth of Lake Opataca is located at:

The main hydrographic slopes near Lake Opataca are:

Toponymy

This toponym was recorded around 1930 in a topographic survey of the region by the surveyor J.-M. Roy. Presumably of Cree origin, this toponym could mean "it is a pass, a narrow passage, on the water, between two elevations of ground".[2]

The toponym "Lake Opataca" was formalized on December 5, 1968, by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, when it was created.[3]

Notes and references
  1. Distances measured from the Atlas of Canada (published on the Internet) by the Department of natural resources of Canada.
  2. Source: Names and places of Quebec, work of the Commission de toponymie of Quebec, published in 1994 and 1996 in the form of a printed illustrated dictionary, and under that of a CD-ROM produced by the company Micro-Intel, in 1997, from this dictionary.
  3. Commission de toponymie du Québec - Place Names Bank - Place Name: "Opataca Lake".

See also
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