Estuary of St. Lawrence
| St. Lawrence River Estuary Estuaire du Saint-Laurent (in French) | |
|---|---|
Maritime section at Port-au-Saumon | |
| Etymology | Saint Lawrence of Rome |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Saint Lawrence River |
| • location | Lake Saint-Pierre, Trois-Rivières |
| • coordinates | 46°16′17″N 72°38′5″W / 46.27139°N 72.63472°W |
| Mouth | Gulf of St. Lawrence / Atlantic Ocean |
• location | Pointe des Monts |
• coordinates | 49°19′N 67°23′W / 49.317°N 67.383°W |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | below the Saint Lawrence River |
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The St. Lawrence River Estuary is an estuary at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. It stretches 655 km from west to east, from the outlet of Lake Saint Pierre to Pointe-des-Monts, where it becomes the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in Quebec, Canada.
The estuary is divided into 3 parts: the fluvial estuary, the middle estuary and the maritime estuary. The waters coming from the north shore of the St. Lawrence and Labrador come mainly from the Canadian Shield.
Among the deepest and largest estuaries in the world, the St. Lawrence maritime estuary extends nearly 250 km before it widens at Point-des-Monts into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This enclosed sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by Cabot Strait and the Strait of Belle-Isle.