regional. On February 21, the eighth happenedH Annual Forum edition of the St. Lawrence River Regional Coordinating Table for the Estuary (TCREF). ZIP Les Deux Rives Committee, the organization that coordinates TCREF, organized the event under the slogan “Let's strengthen the health management of the riverbank”.
In order to present the state of banks throughout the St. Lawrence, regulations regarding bank stability and environmentally responsible initiatives in this area, six speakers took the floor. More than sixty participants attended the forum and were able to question these professionals. They also participated in a consultation workshop to better understand the needs in the MRC territory.
The first conference was held by Jean-François Bernier, a researcher from the University of Laval. It focused on implementing a method for monitoring bank movement in a riparian environment for several years on a portion of the St. Lawrence River. Visual examples of problems in the TCREF area allowed the physical processes to be better understood thanks to existing bank characterization tools.
This conference allowed setting the table for a consultative workshop on bank stability issues in riverside municipalities. The main ideas mentioned during this workshop are: harmonizing municipal regulations and environmental conservation, characterizing environments to better understand local dynamics, raising awareness among local residents regarding the use of banks and supporting residents in an integrated riverbank management approach.
Ophélie Drivet, Environmental Advisor, and Hubert Plamondon, Water and Nature Sector Analyst at the Ministry of the Environment, Climate Change Control, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP), then demystified applicable regulations regarding the implementation of projects in wetlands, waters and sensitive environments. These include the Regulation on the Supervision of Activities based on their Impact on the Environment (REAFIE) and the Regulation on Activities in Wet, Aquatic and Sensitive Environments (RAMHHS) of the Water Quality and Environment (LQE) Act which are explained.
MELCCFP biologist Julie Royer discussed the Wildlife Habitat Respect Act's wildlife habitat regulations that must also be considered when doing work in fish habitats. It emerged from these presentations that the current regulations, complementary to municipal regulations, are not always easy to understand, but they make it possible to adapt to each situation.
Guillaume Delaire, project coordinator at the ZIP Les Deux Rives Committee, presented a project from the organization related to the topic: a set of environmentally responsible, resilient and river-adapted bank stabilization solutions in the Portneuf area. This project enabled a committee composed of multidisciplinary experts, an engineer, a forestry engineer and a biologist to produce standard stabilization plans according to the different erosion problems that characterize the area. Meetings were also held with municipalities, the Migrant Resource Centre, local residents and businessmen working on this issue in the region as part of the project.
The final conference was presented by Charles White, Director of Environment and Earth Sciences at Cima+. Mr. White presented the benefits of plant engineering and mixed technologies to banks, in addition to its advantages and disadvantages. The company's achievements using plant-based technologies are presented to help illustrate theory and demonstrate the existence of different design approaches. The presentation demonstrated that bank stabilization can be achieved in harmony with the natural environment and that there is still room for innovation to test different physical constraints of the river environment. (Las)
