A tourist destination, the municipality of Rawdon stands out with its many bodies of water, including its waterfalls. The spectacular Dorwin Falls, certainly the best-known falls, are regularly included among the most beautiful waterfalls in Quebec. But there are at least five other falls across Rawdon’s landscape. Four of these falls are on the Ouareau River and the other two are on the Rouge River. These articles, which group the falls by river, will have you discover them from a unique historical standpoint.
The Falls on the Ouareau River in Rawdon
Originally identified as the Lacouareau River, the Ouareau River is the main tributary of the L’Assomption River and is fed by two large lakes, Ouareau Lake and Archambault Lake. As early as 1821, a plan drawn by the surveyor Joseph Bouchette Junior (Plan of the Townships of Rawdon & Kildare, on a scale of 1 in. = 40 chains) identified four waterfalls on this river within the territory of Rawdon. They were not named at the time, only numbered. Over the years, the falls were given names. When going up the Ouareau River, one can see the following falls:
- the first fall, or Manchester Fall;
- the second fall, or Dorwin Falls;
- the third fall, or Magnan Falls; and
- the fourth fall, or Cascades Falls.
The Falls on the Rouge River in Rawdon
A tributary of the Ouareau River, the Rouge River runs over 56.5 kilometres with a difference in elevation of 253 metres. Within the territory of Rawdon, as it existed on the map drawn by the surveyor Bouchette, the Rouge ran from lot 27 of range 11 to lot 26 of range 1. However, Bouchette’s map did not indicate the waterfalls on this river. Two falls have been identified, namely:
- Mason Falls; and
- . Daly Fall.
You will soon be able to click on the links identifying these falls to find out more about them.
Research and improvements
More research still needs to be done to better document Rawdon’s waterfalls, including identifying their location with geographic coordinates and determining their differences in elevation. It would also be interesting to add information on their flow rates and water quality. More photographs would also be useful.
Caution and safety
At this point, it feels important to recall the applicable water safety regulations. These waterfalls are very dangerous and can cause death. Given the many drownings that have occurred in the falls over the years, the Municipality has imposed strict regulations whereby:
- access to the water is forbidden; and
- no swimming is permitted (not even putting one’s feet in the water).
We are taking the liberty of insisting on the importance of following these regulations. There is no need to recall the many headlines relating the sad accidents that have occurred.