Knowledge building on the sedimentary dynamics of Rivière-à-Mars for Atlantic salmon habitat restauration

In 2018, CNRM hired a specialized firm (AECOM) with hydrogeomorphologists and engineers to analyze the scope of the problem and to prepare plans and specifications to rectify the situation. The project results helped CNRM understand the scope of the problem, and proposed solutions were applied (with plans and specifications). That said, the proposed solutions are very expensive, would not necessarily last over the years and would only solve part of the problem. This project will therefore implement an innovative and global strategy. The long-term objective is to preserve, rebuild and restore wild salmon habitat of the first ten kilometers of Rivière-à-Mars. In partnership with the Laboratoire de géographie appliquée (LERGA) of l’Université du Québec in Chicoutimi (UQAC), Contact Nature will start by developing sedimentary budgets of Rivière-à-Mars. These will help characterize transportation intensity before the rockfill dismantling in the short and long term to quantify processes on a large time scale and ensure monitoring after the dismantling. The next step will be the dismantling of the rockfill and sedimentary reload.

Contact: Marc-André Galbrand, 418-697-5458, peche@riviereamars.com