Success Stories
Protecting endangered plants on Côte-de-Beaupré
Victorin’s Gentian and Victorin’s Water-hemlock are rare and endangered plants found in the freshwater and slightly brackish estuaries of the St. Lawrence River.
Victorin's Gentian is an annual or biennial plant with branches that bear up to thirty blue or purplish flowers. Victorin's Water-hemlock is known for its small size, finely serrated leaves, and white flowers.
Invasive alien species (IAS), such as common reed and Japanese knotweed, are detrimental to the growth and survival of Gentian and Water-hemlock because they can spread rapidly and form dense colonies, resulting in invaded environments with very low species diversity.In the summer of 2022, Capitale Nature launched a project to curb the spread of IAS and control and combat common reed and Japanese knotweed on the shores of the municipality of Château-Richer, including the Côte-de-Beaupré. The lands involved in this project are rich in biodiversity. They provide habitat for geese and ducks, and close to a waterfowl concentration area.
Capitale Nature uprooted and tarped over 300 square metres of Japanese knotweed colonies and conducted plantation activities to revegetate the sector with native species.
The organization also held activities to raise public awareness of the ecological importance of endangered species and their protection, and on behaviors to adopt to prevent the spread of IAS in their area.In the spring 2024, Capitale Nature will launch new communication tools and will organize meetings, in collaboration with the municipality, to reach local citizens and raise awareness on this matter.
Planting of sea lymegrass at Baie-de-Métis to counter bank erosion
Located in Ste-Flavie, in the Lower St. Lawrence region, the Mitis River Park is a place rich in biodiversity. In this sector, coastal erosion and human activity are endangering the coastal ecosystem. The Parc de la rivière Mitis has greatly contributed to the protection of seaside plants by creating areas conducive to their development, stabilizing the banks and slowing the progression of erosion.
Faced with this issue, members of the local community and several local actors have joined forces and participated in clean-up, planting and awareness activities.
In several sectors of the St. Lawrence coastline, including the Mitis, the coastline retreats every year during storms, causing loss of land for private properties and endangering existing infrastructures.
Let's think about the high tide episode in 2010 that hit the Ste-Flavie and Ste-Luce sectors. During this storm, the Mitis experienced an average recession of 4.65 meters of shoreline and several buildings were destroyed. Ten years later, much remains to be done in this sector to restore the ecosystem.
The summer of 2019 was the start of shoreline planting and revegetation activities. Sea lymegrass is known to be a transplant-friendly plant. These strong roots help capture sand and conserve the beach. For the entire project, 15,000 sea lymegrass plants and 50 wild roses were planted at 4 sites. These plantation activities were carried out over three summers.
After planting, a follow-up was done every two weeks until the fall to know the survival and growth rate of the plants. The good news is that 80% of the plants survived the first winter! Thanks to the participation of more than 500 volunteers and the important mobilization of the local population, this project was a great success in terms of awareness and restoration of this ecosystem.
To learn more about the Sea lymegrass, a plant essential to coastal environments, watch this video clip : L'élyme des sables: une solution à l'érosion côtière (in French only).
Restoring Yellow Perch Habitat in Lake Saint-Pierre for its population recovery
The situation of the yellow perch in Lake Saint-Pierre has been a concern for several years. The loss of quality breeding habitat has slowed the growth of this species in many areas, including the Odanak area located on the eastern shore of the Saint-François River. The construction of a new stream in this sector was necessary for the yellow perch to return to the marsh to spawn.
To promote access to this quality rearing and breeding ground, the Odanak Environment and Land Office (BETO) undertook in 2017 to re-establish a permanent connection between the Tardif Channel - an arm of the Saint-François River that flows into Lake Saint-Pierre - and the 2nd Odanak marsh.
An initial assessment of the territory was carried out in 2016, which helped define the components of the site and identify threatened or vulnerable plant species to better protect them. Then, an engineer proceeded to the georeferencing of the site in order to proceed with the layout of the new watercourse and to obtain its geographical coordinates.
The work to develop the stream and to revegetate the site was spread over 2 years. After excavating, cleaning the rocks, and riprapping the banks, a new culvert measuring 12 m long by 1.2 m in diameter was installed to promote the free movement of fish.
Thanks to the financial support of the CIP / ECCC, the collaboration of the local community, residents and partners, this work could be completed:
- Planting of 200 shrubs in the outer curves of the stream, including 50 willows, 50 dogwoods and 100 alders
- 500 meters of bank restored, cleaned and renaturalized
In addition, an access road leading to the 2nd marsh was built for visitors, while respecting the natural state of the site. Wooden fences were also put in place to ensure the safety of users and an interpretation panel was installed on site.
Since the development, we have noticed that even during low floods, yellow perch can go to the marsh without constraint. In addition, larvae monitoring confirms that spawning occurs every year.
Assessment of the tributary streams of Lake Saint-Pierre in order to improve water quality and wildlife habitats
The small tributary streams of Lake Saint-Pierre are facing several problems which are contributing to the degradation of the lake’s water quality and habitats. The main issues are missing or poor-quality buffer strips, streambank erosion, sedimentation and nutrient inputs carried by the tributaries.
A study-action project, funded by the Community Interaction Program of the St. Lawrence Action Plan, was carried out in order to gain a better understanding of the problems affecting the tributary streams of the two regional county municipalities (RCMs) bordering Lake Saint-Pierre. The “study” component involved conducting a characterization exercise of the priority streams in order to describe the nature of the problems and devise intervention plans. Subsequently, the “action” component involved carrying out restoration work on two tributaries identified as priorities for improving the water quality and wildlife habitats of Lake Saint-Pierre.
Study
During the first part of this project, 68 small streams flowing into Lake Saint-Pierre were characterized. For each, a biophysical assessment of the sites was conducted to identify the factors contributing to the degradation of water quality and wildlife habitats. The main problems observed were:
- Inadequate or non-existent buffer strips;
- Poorly vegetated and unstable streambanks in agricultural areas;
- Culverts that were damaged, inadequate, silted-up or lacking altogether; and
- Vegetation creating obstacles to the free movement of water and fish.
Based on the data collected, an intervention priority code was assigned to each tributary. Each RCM concerned then received an intervention plan outlining the actions recommended to improve the state of their streams. These plans were also submitted to the Quebec Department of Forests, Wildlife and Parks and the Quebec Department of Sustainable Development, Environment and the Fight against Climate Change.
Action
The last phase of the project involved implementation of the recommendations aimed at restoring the Lavigne Stream of the D’Autray RCM and the stream in segment 7 of the Nicolet-Yamaska RCM. The following are a few figures which illustrate the restoration work carried out for these two streams.
Lavigne Stream, D’Autray RCM
The project involved carrying out restoration and enhancement work affecting an area of 67,772 m2 of the stream and its buffer strip, i.e.:
- Restoration of a total length of 4,897 m in the main stream and its branches
- Establishment of 3- to 5-m-wide buffer strips
- Agreements in perpetuity for buffer strip conservation signed with 17 property
- Replacement of 23 culverts
- Planting of more than 15,000 shrubs
Stream in segment 7, Nicolet-Yamaska RCM
The project involved carrying out restoration and enhancement work affecting an area of 32,051 m2 of the stream by creating buffer strips and a forest corridor, i.e.:
- Restoration of a total length of 1,144 m
- Establishment of 4-m-wide buffer strips
- Replacement of eight culverts
- Planting of 10,000 shrubs
Buffer strip before restoration
Buffer strip after restoration
Restoration and enhancement of the mouth of the Brochu River
The mouth of the Brochu River is an exceptional natural environment of the North Shore region. Sheltered by a sandy spit that runs parallel to the shore, there is a small bay that includes a 17 ha salt marsh. The mixing of freshwater from the St. Lawrence River and saltwater from the Gulf of St. Lawrence creates a unique environment that is home to a variety of wildlife species.
However, this exceptional site is subject to various natural and anthropogenic pressures. For example, there are problems of natural erosion, as well as problems of habitat loss and degradation of the spit caused by the frequent passage of off-road vehicles (ORV).
In order to protect this fragile environment, between 2013 and 2016, the Gulf North Shore ZIP (area of prime concern) Committee carried out a project to restore and enhance the mouth of the Brochu River and its salt marsh. The activities undertaken during the two phases of the project included building observation structures, developing public awareness-raising tools as well as restoration of approximately 10,000 m2 of the spit by planting nearly 70,000 sand ryegrass plants. This revegetation has had a number of positive impacts, such as improving the habitat of several species, including the nesting sites of the Common Tern.
You can learn more about the various components of this project, supported by the Community Interaction Program of the St. Lawrence Action Plan, by consulting the guide on the salt marsh of the Brochu River produced by the Gulf North Shore ZIP Committee (available in French only).
Restoration of natural areas in the Matane region
Since 2002, the environmental group Uni-Vert has been restoring several natural sites located at the cliffs along the shore of the St. Lawrence River in the Matane region. This group's interventions have helped preserve local biodiversity by restoring existing habitats, by preventing eroded material from filling habitats located at the foot of the cliffs, and by stabilizing the coastal environment.
To control the erosion process in the cliffs and to prevent them from collapsing, Uni-Vert is continuing its efforts to restore habitats in Petit-Matane by installing brush mats and wattle fences. The photos below show the growth of the new vegetation that was planted for this purpose in spring 2014.
Shore cliff before restoration (May 2014)
Shore cliff after restoration (September 2014)
Intervention plan for the Réserve naturelle des Battures-de-Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures
The Réserve naturelle des Battures-de-Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures is located on the shores of the St. Lawrence River near an urban area and farmland. To ensure the preservation of this important natural environment, the Fondation québécoise pour la protection du patrimoine naturel (FQPPN), together with the Corporation du bassin de la Jacques-Cartier, characterized the 12 watercourses that run through the Reserve, creating an inventory and mapping the problems, such as erosion, shoreline degradation, invasive plant species or water pollution, that affect the watercourses.
Following the characterization, the FQPPN created an intervention plan that includes specific action to remedy the problems. The intervention plan also targets potential stakeholders, enabling us to rally local stakeholders around common issues and make them aware of the importance of preserving these watercourses and, by extension, the St. Lawrence.
This project, which allowed for a useful diagnosis, is a great example of co-operation between the FQPPN and the Corporation du bassin de la Jacques-Cartier. The participants are now ready to take action and are already co-operating to this end with the municipality of Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures. This project is all the more important given the rapid development of the Quebec City metropolitan region.
The intervention plan can be consulted on the FQPPN’s website at www.fqppn.org under the Publications heading.
Photo : © Corporation du bassin de la Jacques-Cartier, 2014