The Leblanc River runs successively in the Decelles and Leblanc townships, south of the Gouin Reservoir and on the west side of the upper Saint-Maurice River. Forestry is the main economic activity of this valley; recreational tourism activities, second.
The route 400, connecting Gouin Dam to the village of Parent, Quebec, serves the Leblanc River Valley; this road also serves the peninsula which stretches north in the Gouin Reservoir on 30.1 kilometres (18.7 mi). Some secondary forest roads are in use nearby for forestry and recreational tourism activities.
The surface of the Leblanc River is usually frozen from mid-November to the end of April, however, safe ice circulation is generally from early December to late March.
Geography
The neighboring hydrographic slopes of the Leblanc River are:
The Leblanc River originates at the mouth of Decelles Lake (length: 5.7 kilometres (3.5 mi); altitude: 435 metres (1,427 ft)). This lake straddles the townships of Fréchette and Decelles. The mouth of this head lake is located at:
18.8 kilometres (11.7 mi) south-east of the mouth of the Leblanc River (confluence with Bouzanquet Bay of Gouin Reservoir);
145 kilometres (90 mi) north-west of downtown La Tuque.[2]
From the mouth of Decelles Lake, the course of the Leblanc River flows over 32.8 kilometres (20.4 mi) according to the following segments:
12.3 kilometres (7.6 mi) northeasterly to the west shore of Big Bear Lake;
3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) north across Big Bear Lake (length: 5.0 kilometres (3.1 mi); altitude: 412 metres (1,352 ft)). Note: This lake straddles the townships of Leblanc and Decelles;
5.3 kilometres (3.3 mi) to the Northwest passing between two mountains, then crossing Lake Leblanc (length: 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi); altitude: 401 metres (1,316 ft)), in full length, to its mouth;
5.7 kilometres (3.5 mi) northwesterly across a swamp area, then recovering the dump (coming from the north-east) of an unidentified lake and crossing over 0.2 kilometres (0.12 mi) the eastern part of Motard Lake, to its mouth;
5.9 kilometres (3.7 mi) northwesterly, forming a hook of 0.8 kilometres (0.50 mi) north-east at the beginning of the segment, to its mouth.[3]
The confluence of the Leblanc River with the Gouin Reservoir is located at:
18.3 kilometres (11.4 mi) south-west of the Gouin dam;
110 kilometres (68 mi) south-east of the village center of Obedjiwan, Quebec;
55.4 kilometres (34.4 mi) north-west of the village center of Wemotaci, Quebec;
137 kilometres (85 mi) north-west of downtown La Tuque;
