Shields Branch

Shields Branch
Native name	"Rivière Saint-Roch" in Quebec
Physical characteristics
Main source	Mountain stream in Sainte-Perpétue, Chaudière-Appalaches, Quebec, MRC L'Islet Regional County Municipality, Chaudière-Appalaches, Quebec, in Canada; 444 metres (1,457 ft); 47°06′58″N 69°49′37″W / 47.11611°N 69.82694°W
River mouth	Big Black River (Saint John River), Township T15 R15 WELS, Maine, United States; 263 metres (863 ft); 46°55′26″N 69°37′48″W / 46.92389°N 69.63000°WCoordinates: 46°55′26″N 69°37′48″W / 46.92389°N 69.63000°W
Length	44.0 kilometres (27.3 mi)
Basin features
Tributaries	Right:; Frontier brook;

The Shields Branch (French: Rivière Saint-Roch in Quebec) is a tributary of the Big Black River), flowing in:

Quebec (Canada): in the administrative region of Chaudière-Appalaches, in L'Islet Regional County Municipality, in the municipalities of Sainte-Perpétue, Chaudière-Appalaches, Quebec, Saint-Omer, Quebec and Saint-Pamphile, Quebec;
Maine (United States): in the Aroostook County, Township T15 R15 Wels.

Its course is situated between the Rochu River (or “Little Saint Rock River”) (West side) and the Gagnon River (West side). This river is especially flowing in forest area in a valley encircled by Notre Dame Mountains.

From its source (47°06′58″N 69°49′37″W / 47.116°N 69.827°W / 47.116; -69.827 (Rivière Saint-Roch source)), in L'Islet Regional County Municipality, the river runs south and southeast across the Canada–United States border in Maine Township 15, Range 15, WELS, to the Big Black River in T 14, R 15.

Geography

The upper part of the "Saint Roch River" begins in Notre Dame Mountains, in the municipality of Sainte-Perpétue, Chaudière-Appalaches, Quebec in the L'Islet Regional County Municipality (RCM). This source is located at:

15.0 kilometres (9.3 mi) Northwest of the border between Quebec and Maine;
9.8 kilometres (6.1 mi) Northeast from the village of Sainte-Perpétue, Chaudière-Appalaches, Quebec;
35.3 kilometres (21.9 mi) Northwest from the confluence of the Saint-Roch River;
35.0 kilometres (21.7 mi) Southeast of the village center of Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec.

St. Roch river flows on 44.0 kilometres (27.3 mi) according to the following segments:

Upper river course (segment of 27.6 kilometres (17.1 mi) in Quebec)

From the source in the mountains, the Saint-Roch river flows:

8.1 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the South in Sainte-Perpétue, Chaudière-Appalaches, Quebec, cutting the path of range Taché East, up to the boundary of the municipality of Saint-Omer;
1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) to the South in Saint-Omer, up to the boundary of the municipality of Sainte-Perpétue, Chaudière-Appalaches, Quebec ;
150 metres (490 ft) to the South in Sainte-Perpétue, Chaudière-Appalaches, Quebec, up to the confluence of the Saint-Roch Nord River (from the West) ;
0.8 kilometres (0.50 mi) to the Southeast, up to the boundary of the municipality of Saint-Pamphile, Quebec;
2.8 kilometres (1.7 mi) (or 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) in direct line), winding towards the Southeast, up to the bridge of the "Little North range";
2.1 kilometres (1.3 mi) (or 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) in direct line), winding towards the Southeast, up to the bridge of the range of Pelletier;
7.3 kilometres (4.5 mi) (or 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi) in direct line), winding towards the Southeast and straddling the boundary between Saint-Omer, Quebec and Saint-Pamphile, Quebec, up to the bridge of the range of Gagnon;
2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) (or 1.4 kilometres (0.87 mi) in direct line), winding towards the Southeast, up to the bridge of 6th range;
1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) to the Southeast, up to the confluence of the Gagnon River (Saint Roch River) (from the Southwest);
0.8 kilometres (0.50 mi) to the Southeast, up to the border between Quebec and Maine.

Lower course of the river (segment 16.4 kilometres (10.2 mi) in Maine designated "Shields Branch")

From the border between Quebec and Maine, the "Shields Branch" runs on:

2.0 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the Southeast in the Maine, up to the "Little Saint-Roch River" (from the Northeast). Note: This river takes its source in Quebec where it is designated Rochu River;
9.3 kilometres (5.8 mi) (or 4.7 kilometres (2.9 mi) in direct line) to the Southeast, winding end segment up to the highway bridge;
5.1 kilometres (3.2 mi) (or 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) in direct line) up to the Southeast, winding up to the confluence of the river.^[1]

The "Shields Branch" flows into a river curve on the North bank of the Big Black River, Township T14 R15 Wels, in the Aroostook County. This confluence is located:

8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) Southeast of the border between Canada and US;
13.7 kilometres (8.5 mi) West of the confluence of the Big Black River;
11.6 kilometres (7.2 mi) Southeast of the village center of Saint-Pamphile, in Quebec.

Toponymy

The place name "Saint-Roch River" was formalized on December 5, 1968, at the Commission de toponymie du Québec (Quebec Places Names Board.^[2]

Bibliography

"Shields Branch". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2016-07-17.

References

↑ Segments of the river measured from the Atlas of Canada (posted on Internet), Ministry of Natural Resources Canada
↑ Commission de toponymie du Québec (Quebec Places Names Board) – Banque des noms de lieux (Bank of Place Names) - Toponym: "Saint-Roch River"

"Shields Branch". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 30 September 1980. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
Maine Streamflow Data from the USGS
Maine Watershed Data From Environmental Protection Agency

External links

(in English) Maine Streamflow USGS data
(in English) Maine Watershed data from the Environmental Protection Agency

Saint John River Watershed
Tributaries	Allagash River Aroostook River Baker Branch Saint John River Becaguimec Stream Big Black River Birch River Blackwater River Campbell Branch Little Black River River De Chute Daaquam River Fish River Hammond River Jemseg River Kennebecasis River Keswick River Little Black River Little Machias River Little Madawaska River Little River Little Saint Roch River Little Southwest Branch Saint John River Machias River Madawaska River Meduxnekeag River Musquacook Stream Nashwaak River Nerepis River North Branch Birch River North Branch Blackwater River North Branch Meduxnekeag River Northwest Branch Saint John River Oromocto River Red River Saint Croix Stream Saint Francis River Shields Branch South Branch Birch River South Branch Blackwater River South Branch Machias River South Branch Meduxnekeag River Southwest Branch Saint John River Tobique River West Branch Little Black River
Lakes	Baker Lake Beau Lake Chemquasabamticook Lake Churchill Lake Clear Lake Cross Lake Eagle Lake (Allagash R.) Eagle Lake (Fish R.) Fish River Lake Glazier Lake Grand Lake Long Lake Mactaquac Lake Millinocket Lake Mud Lake Munsungan Lake Musquacook Lakes Lake Pohenegamook Portage Lake Saint Froid Lake Saint John Ponds Scopan Lake Square Lake Umsaskis Lake
Towns	Allagash Ashland Blaine Bridgewater Caribou Eagle Lake Easton Edmundston Florenceville-Bristol Fort Fairfield Fort Kent Fredericton Frenchville Grand Bay–Westfield Grand Falls Grand Isle Hampton Hartland Hodgdon Houlton Lac-Frontière Limestone Littleton Madawaska Mapleton Mars Hill Masardis Monticello Nackawic New Limerick Oromocto Perham Perth-Andover Pohénégamook Portage Lake Presque Isle Quispamsis Rivière-Bleue Rothesay Sainte Agatha Saint-Camille-de-Lellis Saint-Cyprien Saint Francis Saint John Saint-Just-de-Bretenières Saint-Léonard Saint-Marcel Saint-Pamphile Saint-Zacharie Stockholm Sussex Van Buren Washburn Westfield Woodstock
Landmarks	Allagash Wilderness Waterway Bangor and Aroostook Railroad Clair–Fort Kent Bridge Edmundston–Madawaska Bridge Florenceville Bridge Fort Kent Hartland Bridge North Maine Woods Reversing Falls Saint John Harbour Bridge Saint John River High Level Crossing Saint Leonard–Van Buren Bridge Tinker Dam Watson Settlement Bridge