SAGUENAY RIVER

French Rivire Saguenay, river in SaguenayLac-Saint-Jean region, south central Quebec province, Canada, draining Lac-Saint-Jean into the St. Lawrence River at Tadoussac, about 120 mi (190 km) northeast of Quebec city. Flowing east-southeast, the Saguenay, in the first third of its 105-mi length, descends about 300 ft (90 m) in a turbulent stream. Below Chicoutimi, at the head of navigation, the valley is virtually a fjord through which the river, without shoals or obstructions (average depth, about 800 ft), continues between precipitous cliffs, which culminate in the majestic capes Trinity and Eternity, more than 1,600 ft high. The upper river and its tributaries are major sources of hydroelectric power; Shipshaw, Chute Caron, and sle-Maligne dams have a combined capacity of more than 1,500,000 kilowatts, most of which powers huge aluminum smelters at Jonquire and pulp and paper mills at Chicoutimi, Jonquire, and La Baie (Port-Alfred). Ha Ha Bay, about 20 mi downstream from Chicoutimi, is a fjord-like arm of the Saguenay into which the Ha Ha River and Rivire Mars empty near Port-Alfred.