Report on the Lake Kénogami Watershed Flood
Control Project Now Available

Québec, November 4, 2003 – At the request of Thomas J. Mulcair, Quebec Minister of the Environment, and his federal counterpart, Minister David Anderson, the report on the Lake Kénogami watershed flood control project has been released. The project’s proponent is the ministère des Ressources naturelles, de la Faune et des Parcs of Quebec.

Prepared by the Panel established under the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) and the Joint Review Panel, the report concludes that the project meets its primary objective of ensuring public safety. The Panel also concludes that the richness and unique character of the Pikauba River Valley, as well as the ecological value of the ecosystems in the proposed area, justify ensuring that the project minimizes losses to these areas.

The Panel therefore recommends that the Pikauba reservoir be managed at a level 5 m lower than that suggested by the proponent. As a result, 93% of the wetlands of greatest interest in the Pikauba River meander belt would be spared, as would a 14-km stretch where many brook trout spawning grounds are located. In addition, this management option would preserve a large fish nursery and feeding area. The option also has the advantage of preserving moose habitat while allowing for the development of a valuable eco-tourism area.

The Panel also proposes a more flexible option for stabilizing Lake Kénogami, which gives managers of the structures greater maneuverability, while still meeting the primary objective of public safety.

In its report, the Panel put forward 48 opinions and 12 recommendations aimed at a more balanced integration of ecological, economic and social considerations.

The joint review of the project was conducted in accordance with an agreement reached last August between the Quebec and federal ministers of the Environment.

How to access the report

The report is available for consultation at BAPE documentation centres, consultation centres in the study area and on the Web sites of BAPE (www.bape.gouv.qc.ca) and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) (www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca). The report is also available directly from BAPE. Please contact the office by e-mail at communication@bape.gouv.qc.ca, by telephone at (418) 643-7447 or toll free at 1 800 463-4732.

For information on the federal process, please call the CEAA at (819) 953-9407.

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Information :

Karine Lavoie, Communications Advisor
Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement
575, rue Saint-Amable, bureau 2.10
Québec, Quebec G1R 6A6

Robert Deslauriers, Communications Advisor
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
200 Sacré-Cœur Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0H3