Rivière à Pierre (Batiscan River tributary)
The rivière à Pierre ("English: River of Pierre") is a tributary of the east bank of the Batiscan River, flowing in the unorganized territories of Lac-Blanc (township of Neilson) and Linton (township of Tonty), as well as in the municipality of Rivière-à-Pierre (township of Bois), in the Portneuf Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Capitale-Nationale, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. The course of the "rivière à Pierre" descends on the northeast side of the Batiscan River and on the northeast side of the St. Lawrence River . This river is part of the hydrographic side of the Batiscan River which generally winds south to the north bank of the St. Lawrence River. The upper course of the "Pierre river" is entirely in the forest zone up to Lac du Dépôt; as well as the lower part from the outlet of Lac Cinquante. The agricultural area is concentrated around the village of Rivière-à-Pierre. The river surface is generally frozen from mid-December until the end of March. Since the mid-19th century, forestry has been the predominant activity in the "Pierre river" watershed. At the end of  the 19th century, the extraction of marble stones developed, as well as agriculture and recreational tourism. The Canadian National railway runs along the "Pierre river" between the confluence of the Blanche River and the "Sainte-Anne rapids". Geography. The "Pierre river" has its source in a forest area at the mouth of Lac Cristal (length: ; altitude: ). The mouth of this lake is located northwest of the center of the village of Saint-Raymond, northeast of the confluence of the "Pierre river" and north of the north shore of the Saint-Laurent river, near Portneuf (city). From its source, the Pierre  river flows over , according to the following segments: Upper course of the river (segment of ) Lower river course (segment of ) The Pierre river flows on the east bank of the Batiscan River in the municipality of Rivière-à-Pierre. The confluence of the Pierre river is located at: Toponymy. In 1829, Jean-Pierre Proulx's survey reports indicated the toponym "Rivière à Pierre" and it was also mentioned in 1883 and 1884 in those of T. C. de La Chevrotière. Some authors have associated this name with the pioneer Pierre Beaupré (1884-1920) who settled on the banks of this  river at the end of the 19th century. Given the mention of 1829, the stony character of the river bed and its rocky outskirts has certainly inspired cartographers and local leaders in the designation of this watercourse. The quarry stones cannot be linked to the appellation since their exploitation began only in the 1880s. The toponym "Rivière à Pierre" was formalized on December 5, 1968, at the Commission de toponymie du Québec.