Calcaire, Chute du

Chute du Calciare, or Limestone Falls, is the largest waterfall by both height and volume along the Caniapiscau River. The falls drop 22 meters where the river splits into several segments where it converged around an island. Each segment of the falls features a powerful nearly vertical block-shaped fall with cascades above and below. The two primary segments each span approximately 80-100 meters each, while the third largest segment is about 15 meters wide, and several smaller channels braid down the rocks between each. The overall average width of the falls is approximately 330 meters. Since 1985 a portion of the Caniapiscau has been diverted into the La Grande hydroelectric system at the Caniapiscau Reservoir, removing as much as 45% of the river's natural volume at its mouth. Despite this, Chute du Calcaire remains one of the largest waterfalls by volume in North America.