| Petitcodiac River Rivière Petitcodiac (French) | |
|---|---|
 An aerial view of the bend in the river at Moncton | |
 A map of the Petitcodiac River, highlighted in dark blue. Purple indicates its four major tributaries. | |
| Etymology | Mi'kmaq language Epetkutogoyek, meaning "the river that bends like a bow" |
| Nickname(s) | Chocolate River |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | New Brunswick |
| Counties | Westmorland, Albert, Kings |
| Cities | Moncton, Dieppe |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source confluence | Anagance River and North River, Westmorland County, New Brunswick |
| • coordinates | 45°55′37″N 65°11′20″W / 45.92694°N 65.18889°W |
| Mouth | |
• location | Shepody Bay, Albert County, New Brunswick |
• coordinates | 45°51′58″N 64°34′28″W / 45.86611°N 64.57444°W |
| Length | 79 km (49 mi)approx. |
| Basin size | 2,071 km2 (800 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Riverview Causeway |
| • average | 27.3 m3/s (960 cu ft/s) |
| • minimum | 0.36 m3/s (13 cu ft/s) |
| • maximum | 730 m3/s (26,000 cu ft/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | North River, Mill Creek, Jonathan Creek, Halls Creek, Fox Creek |
| • right | Anagance River, Little River, Pollett River, Turtle Creek, Weldon Creek |
The Petitcodiac River /pɛtiˈkoʊdi.æk/ is a river located in south-eastern New Brunswick, Canada. Local tourist businesses often refer to it as the "chocolate river" due to its distinctive brown mud floor and brown waters. Stretching across a meander length of 79 kilometres (49 miles), the river traverses Westmorland, Albert, and Kings counties, draining a watershed area of about 2,071 square kilometres (800 sq mi). The watershed features valleys, ridges, and rolling hills, and is home to a diverse population of terrestrial and aquatic species. Ten named tributaries join the river in its course toward its mouth in Shepody Bay. Prior to the construction of a causeway in 1968, the Petitcodiac River had one of the world's largest tidal bores, which ranged from 1 to 2 metres (3.3–6.6 ft) in height and moved at speeds of 5 to 13 kilometres per hour (3.1–8.1 mph). With the opening of the causeway gates in April 2010, the river is flushing itself of ocean silts, and the bore is returning to its former size.
The Mi'kmaq were the first to settle near the river, who used it as part of a portage route between Shubenacadie and the village of Petitcodiac, where they had a winter camp. In 1698, the region was colonized by Acadians from Port Royal, Nova Scotia; however, they were later expelled in 1755 during the Seven Years' War. During this period, Acadian resistance fighters based in Village-des-Blanchard (now Hillsborough) fought under the command of French leader Charles Deschamps de Boishébert in the Battle of Petitcodiac, attempting to repel British troops but ultimately suffering the destruction of most of their settlement. Three years later, British troops returned to the river and launched the Petitcodiac River Campaign. In the 1840s, the Greater Moncton area experienced a shipbuilding boom, which was halted following the arrival of the steam train, leading to the town's de-incorporation. These changes gradually marginalized the Petitcodiac River.
In 1968, a controversial rock-and-earth fill causeway was constructed between Moncton and Riverview to prevent agricultural flooding and to carry a crossing between the two communities. The causeway caused many problems for the river and its surrounding ecosystem. An estimated 10 million cubic metres (13 million cubic yards) of silt was deposited in the 4.7 km (2.9 mi) of river downstream from the causeway in the first three years following construction. The causeway restricted the movement of fish and reduced the region's salmon catches by 82 percent. Water quality has also dropped thanks to industrial expansion around the area. In 2003, Earthwild International designated the Petitcodiac River as the most endangered river in Canada because of these problems. On 14 April 2010, the causeway's gates were opened permanently as part of a $68 million three-phase project designed to restore the river. The causeway was replaced with a bridge, completed in September 2021.