Leaf River (Quebec)

Leaf River (Quebec)

Leaf River (French: Rivière aux Feuilles; Inuktitut: Kuugaaluk (the large river) or Itinniq (where there are spring tides)) is a river in northern Quebec, Canada, at the northern limit of the tree line. It flows from Lake Minto northeast through the Ungava Peninsula into Leaf Bay off Ungava Bay over a distance of 480 kilometres (300 mi). At the head of Leaf Bay is the Inuit community of Tasiujaq.

The Leaf River herd of Barren-ground Caribou is one of the world's largest, estimated at close to a half-million animals.

It is possible to paddle the whole length of the Leaf River (with caution) without portaging - it doesn't contain impassable waterfalls or non-navigable rapids. The length of the river measured from Charpentier Bay to Tasiujaq is 320 kilometres (200 mi); if measured from first descernable current, it is 288 kilometres (179 mi).

The ice-free period on the river is short: about sixty days. That implies a quite low average daily temperature in the summer (approx. 10°C) generally accompanied by rain (or snow) and wind. In short, it is an environment where hypothermia can easily occur.