Roggan River

Roggan
Map
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
RegionEeyou Istchee Baie-James (municipality)
Physical characteristics
SourceLac Amichikukamaskach
 • locationEeyou Istchee Baie-James (municipality), Nord-du-Québec, Quebec
 • coordinates54°06′48″N 79°58′51″W / 54.11333°N 79.98083°W / 54.11333; -79.98083
 • elevation203 m (666 ft)
MouthNottaway River
 • location
Eeyou Istchee Baie-James (municipality), Nord-du-Québec, Quebec
 • coordinates
54°24′36″N 79°27′59″W / 54.41000°N 79.46639°W / 54.41000; -79.46639
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length193 km (120 mi)[1]
Basin size9,583 km2 (3,700 sq mi)[1]

The Roggan River is a tributary of the eastern shore of James Bay. This river runs westward in the municipality of Eeyou Istchee Baie-James (municipality), in the administrative region of Nord-du-Québec, in Quebec, in Canada.

Geography

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The Roggan River is the penultimate river south of Louis XIV Point, which delineates James Bay and Hudson Bay; the mouth of the river is located 30 kilometres (19 mi) southeast of Pointe Louis-XIV. The Roggan flows south and parallel to the Seal River; as well as north and parallel to the Piagochioui River.

Located near the locality of Kanaaupscow, Amichikukamaskach Lake (length: 8.2 kilometres (5.1 mi) by 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) wide) is the head lake of the Roggan River, located to the west of the Robert-Bourassa Reservoir.

Along its westward course (in the direction of James Bay), the Roggan escapes and forms several important lakes, including Lakes Lorin (altitude: 190 metres (620 ft)), Pamigamachi (altitude: 168 metres (551 ft)) and Roggan (altitude: 165 metres (541 ft)).

The waters of the Roggan River flow into an archipelago of islands on the northeastern coast of James Bay, in the hamlet of the same name as the river.

South of the Roggan River, a chain of hills (height between 6 metres (20 ft) to 60 metres (200 ft)) with a complex relief stretches long north-west of the Robert-Bourassa Reservoir.

Toponymy

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A written source indicates that, in 1828, the Roggan was dubbed the "Pishop Roggan". The spelling "Bishoproggin R." (later "Bishop Roggan River" or "Bishop Roggan's River") appears on an Arrowsmith British North America map (1822). According to geographer J. Keith Fraser, in Place Names of the Hudson Bay Region (1968), the term "Bishoproggin" is an anglicization of the Cree words pichipouian or peshipwaytok, or "fish tank". However, no source shows a toponymic link with the country's clergy or religious history.

Locally, the Cree people designate the Roggan Amistustikwach, which means "three rivers".[2]

The toponym Rivière Roggan was formalised on December 5, 1968, at the Bank of Place Names of the Commission de toponymie du Québec (i.e., at the foundation of this commission).[3]

See also

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Notes and references

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  1. ^ a b Atlas of Canada
  2. ^ Source: "Names and places of Quebec", a work of the Commission de toponymie du Québec, published in 1994 and 1996 in the form a printed illustrated dictionary, and under that of a CD-ROM made by the company Micro-Intel, in 1997, from this dictionary.
  3. ^ /ct /ToposWeb/fiche.aspx?no_seq=54193 Commission de toponymie du Quebec - Bank of Place Names - Toponym: "Roggan River"