Which ring-shaped Quebec reservoir lies in the Manicouagan impact crater?

The Manicouagan Reservoir is the ring-shaped Quebec reservoir that lies in the Manicouagan impact crater.

The reservoir occupies the prominent inner ring of a deeply eroded, multi-ring impact structure in central Quebec. René-Levasseur Island sits at its centre, with Mount Babel rising on the island’s uplifted interior. Seen from space, the circular water body and central island create the famous “eye of Quebec” shape.

The impact occurred in the Late Triassic, about 214 million years ago, when an asteroid roughly 5 kilometres across struck the region. The original crater was about 100 kilometres wide; erosion and later geological processes reduced the visible structure. The reservoir formed much later when hydroelectric development flooded the area, converting the natural lake basin into a major reservoir.

It is often called Lake Manicouagan, but “Manicouagan Reservoir” is the standard name in this quiz’s context. The nearby Caniapiscau, Gouin and Cabonga reservoirs are large Quebec water bodies, yet none occupies this distinctive impact ring.