The water level of the river varies with the seasons and the precipitation; the spring flood occurs in March or April.

There is a large wooded area that houses the Lac des Roches, used as a reserve of drinking water by the borough of Charlesbourg.

From this confluence, the current descends on 8.3 kilometres (5.2 mi) generally towards the northeast in urban areas, following the course of the Saint-Charles River.

On a map published in 1688 by Robert de Villeneuve, the toponym “Rivière du Berger” appears clearly.

However, a point zone of bacteriological contamination was observed at the site of the former zoological garden due to the presence of aquatic birds in the river.