Missisquoi Bay

Missisquoi Bay

Map of Champlain Lake with Missisquoi Bay in North-East area of the lake.
Location Venise-en-Québec
Coordinates Coordinates: Haut-Richelieu_type:waterbody 45°01′12″N 73°08′42″W / 45.02000°N 73.14500°W / 45.02000; -73.14500
Type Bay
Part of Champlain Lake
Primary inflows Rivière aux Brochets (baie Missisquoi) Pikes River (Missisquoi Bay)
Primary outflows Champlain Lake and Richelieu River
Basin countries  Canada
 United States
Max. length 5 km (3.1 mi)
Max. depth 4.75 m (15.6 ft)

Missisquoi Bay is a large extension in the northern part of Champlain Lake, at the East of the output of the latter in Richelieu River. It takes the form of a violin head, handle leaving the head of the lake and having about 5 km in diameter. The bay is divided between the Quebec in Canada and Vermont in United States. The main town on its banks is Venise-en-Québec, a major summer resort. The river of the same name flows into the bay and the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge is located on the American side.

Toponymy

"Map of Lake Champlain from Fort Chambly seen over Fort St Frederic, in New France". Cadastral map showing concessions and lordships on the lake following the boundary of 1739; indication of the course of water and rapids. This card identifies the Michiscouy Bay and the lordships bordering the bay, including that of Mr de Lusignan.

Champlain, first governor of New France, was the first European to visit the region. The name that has an Abenaki origin, would mean "a lot of waterfowl" but other senses are also advanced. It appears officially in the eighteenth century in the concession document made on April 6, 1733 to Paul-Louis de Lusignan Dazemard as the "Missiskouy Bay". The graph will change several times. In 1855, when changes to electoral counties of Lower Canada into electoral districts, the Legislature finally adopts the form Missisquoi to designate the county and the region.

Geology

This is an in-ground by glaciers Bay ago 18,000 years and then cast their monitoring dewatering of the Champlain Sea there are approximately 8,000 years. The maximum depth of the bay is about 4.75 m and its bottom is made of regional marine deposits. The bay waters draining south into the Champlain Lake and the Richelieu River. Until the late 2000s, the water of the bay was stagnant and the bay was dying. At the opening of the new bridge on the US side, on the old road embankment was partly demolished which brought a flow of fresh water from the Champlain.

Environment

The bay has a great diversity of fauna and flora, including many species of birds, hence the establishment of a national refuge on the US side. Its beaches are very popular with vacationers in summer and its waters are laced with various pleasure boats, from personal watercraft, boats, etc. In winter, anglers on the ice engage in this activity.

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.