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Regional Assessment Reports
Regional assessments are syntheses of the information contained in four technical reports on the biological, physico-chemical, socio-economic and public health aspects of a given study area. These reports were prepared by the federal and provincial partners of the St. Lawrence Vision 2000 Action Plan under its Community Involvement component.
List of Regional Assessment Reports
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Parasites of Fishes in Fresh Water, David J. Marcogliese and the Canadian Society of Zoologists
Protocols for measuring freshwater biodiversity are organized into modules and form part of the collection of protocols that focus on the sampling of freshwater biodiversity currently being developed by EMAN’s Biodiversity Science Board. The present document deals with parasites of freshwater fishes, and contains information on sampling procedures, identification of species, data analysis, and materials and suppliers. It also includes a list of contact persons.
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Mapping the Wetlands of the St. Lawrence Using Remote Sensing (1990-1991) (2005), Guy Létourneau and Martin Jean
The objective of this project was to map the different land-use categories over a 1-km-wide riparian strip, including the water. Emphasis was placed on distinguishing among the various groupings of marshes and swamps, and on a sound estimate of submerged aquatic plants. Using a MEIS-II airborne sensor, we were able to discern 65 land-use categories, out of which we found 46 wetland classes. Our results demonstrate that remote sensing is an efficient and useful tool for surveying vast areas of wetlands.
Available at the St. Lawrence Centre Documentation Centre
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A Summary Report on Swimmer's Itch in Quebec. 2005. Sean Locke and David J. Marcogliese
This report provides a biological summary of the parasites that cause swimmer’s itch and reviews control measures studied to date. Its publication was made possible by the St. Lawrence Action Plan, a Canada–Quebec initiative aimed at understanding, protecting and restoring the St. Lawrence ecosystem.
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Avermectins : Potential Environmental Risks and Impacts on Freshwater Ecosystems in Quebec. 2005. Jennifer Kövecses and David J. Marcogliese
The objective of this report is to thoroughly review the known environmental impacts of avermectins and to assess the risk associated with their use in Quebec to freshwater ecosystems. Publication was made possible by the St. Lawrence Vision 2000 Action Plan, a Canada-Quebec initiative aimed at understanding, protecting and restoring the St. Lawrence ecosystem.
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St. Lawrence Centre Catalogue of Publications, 2000–2004. 2005. Carmen Schwery, Ginette Prégent and Linda Poirier
The catalogue contains the bibliographic references for the results of all research projects undertaken, in whole or in part, by the St. Lawrence Centre. Entries are listed by year and the bibliographic notices are categorized by theme (or key word) specifying the field of activity to which it refers.
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Spatial and Temporal Evolution of the Geochemistry and Sedimentary Processes of Lake Saint-François in the 20th Century. 2002. Magella Pelletier and Serge Lepage
A snapshot of trends in sediment geochemistry in Lake Saint-François during the past 20 years was produced by compiling in interpreting phydical and geochemical data drawn from 27 sediment cores and three surface-sediment sampling campaigns. In interpreting the geochemical data, we have been able to assess, both in time and space, variations in the geochemical components of contaminants deposited in lake sediment following industrial development in the Cornwall-Massena area.
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Temporal Evolution of the Contaminants in Suspended Solids Upstream of Lake Saint-François between 1994 and 1999. 2004. Magella Pelletier and Serge Lepage
A long-term monitoring study was initiated in 1994 on the quality of suspended solids (SS) in the Cornwall-Massena region, in the western part of Lake Saint-François, as a joint project between Environnement Canada (Quebec and Ontario regions), Quebec’s environment ministry (Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Faune du Québec — MEF), and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Energy (OMEE). This study is related to the dredging of contaminated sediment at three Superfund sites in the river at Massena. It aimed in particular to assess the effects of the restoration measures on the quality of the SS migration downstream and currently contributing to the contamination of sediment in Lake Saint-François.
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Zebra Mussel Colonization and Growth in the Richelieu River between 1997 and 2000. 2002. Yves de Lafontaine, Georges Costan, Denis Labonté and Brigitte Cusson
This document reports on the results of a study conducted as part of the Biodiversity program of the federal-provincial SLV 2000 Action Plan. One objective of this program was to monitor the introduction and the impacts of exotic species on the St. Lawrence River ecosystems. Results of this study provide evidence of the presence and spread of zebra mussels along the Richelieu River, a major tributary of the St. Lawrence River. It is recommended that a quantitative sampling program coupled with specific ecological studies be conducted and maintained in order to assess and monitor the abundance and impacts of zebra mussels in the Richeleiu River.
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The Environmental Risks and Impacts of Navigation on the St. Lawrence River. 2000. Serge Villeneuve and Louise Quilliam
The overall objective of this report was to examine the pressure, state and response factors associated with navigation on the St. Lawrence River. It also aimed to: determine the nature and scope of the main pressures exerted by navigation activites on the St. Lawrence River; assess the effects on natural habitats, resources and uses of the river; identify and assess the environmental measures, regulatory and voluntary, implemented to eliminate or minimize the effects of the various pressures; assess the value of the knowledge and information on the above aspects; and identify possible initiatives to minimize effects on the environment and reduce navigation-related risks along the St. Lawrence River, in keeping with the principle of sustainable development.
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Trends in Lake Water Quality in Southern Quebec Following Reductions in Sulphur Emissions. 1999. Alain Kemp
Monitoring activities conducted in a network of 43 lakes since 1984 and in the calibrated watershed of Laflamme Lake since 1981 indicate that Quebec lakes are not responding in any consistent or proportional fashion to the generalized decline in suphate (SO4) concentrations in lakes. This study had two objectives. The first was to summarize the information collected by the LRTAP Program of Environment Canada, Quebec Region, and to determine whether current SO4 deposition is low enough to protect the lakes from acidification and allow their recovery. This is of the utmost importance, as it seems that the SO4 deposition cap of 20 kg/ha/yr established in the 1980s is too high. The report examines the monitoring results from the network literature to account for the fact that, despite the reductions in SO4 deposition, lakes are taking too long to recover or are not recovering at all. The second objective of the study was to evaluate ongoing projects and to make recommendations on future operations in light of the results obtained.
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Contamination of Suspended Solids in Lake Saint-François and in the Cornwall-Massena Sector. 1999. Serge Lepage
Identified as an Area of Concern by the International Joint Commission, the transboundary area of Cornwall, Ontario, and Massena, New York, is recognized for its heavy mercury (Cornwall) and PCB (Massena) contamination. Over the summer of 1995, GM and ALCOA began the dredging work and removed close to 14 000 m3 of sediment. In this context, a long-term monitoring program of the suspended matter in the water was undertaken in autumn 1994. The program used a network of sediment traps which were sampled monthly, when dredging work was taking place, and bimonthly, when no dredging was being done. This report describes the hydrodynamic characteristics of the study area and the work carried out, and discusses the initial results of the first two years of the study in terms of the PCB and mercury contamination of suspended particulate matter. It also makes recommendations for the completion of the study. The sampling activites will continue into 1999 in order to validate the initial results obtained.
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Spatial Variation of Contaminant Levels in Six Species of Fish from the St. Lawrence River. 1998. John Ion and Yves de Lafontaine
This study was undertaken as part of the St. Lawrence Action Plan and St. Lawrence Vision 2000 programs with the aim of assessing the contaminant status of St. Lawrence River fish. This was the first major survey of contaminant levels in St. Lawrence River fish since 1975. Using fish as a biomonitor, the objective was to evaluate temporal changes and examine variation in contaminant levels, both among the three fluvial lakes and among fish species from different trophic levels, with the aim of identifying contaminant hot-spots and potential risks to human and aquatic health. Based on these results, recommendations for future monitoring studies are proposed.
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Options for Managing Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River Water Levels and Flows: Final Report. 2006. International Lake Ontario–St. Lawrence River Study Board. Prepared for the International Joint Commission |
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Small-scale Freshwater Toxicity Investigations – Volumes 1 and 2. 2005. Christian Blaise and Jean-François Férard
While toxicity testing procedures and hazard assessment approaches have been published in past decades, many are wanting in detail for users to fully understand or reproduce successfully. Small-scale Freshwater Toxicity Investigations (Volumes 1 and 2) responds to this need by providing comprehensive information on biological testing which is normally scattered and difficult to find.
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Sustainable Navigation Strategy for the St. Lawrence. 2004. Pierre D’Arcy, Jean-François Bibeault and the Navigation Consensus Building Committee of St. Lawrence Vision 2000
The Sustainable Navigation Strategy for the St. Lawrence is an initiative of the St. Lawrence Action Plan under the third Canada–Quebec Agreement on the St. Lawrence. It contributes to the development of various aspects of navigation while respecting the environmental conditions of the St. Lawrence.
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Les plantes envahissante du Saint-Laurent : une analyse spatio-temporelle. 2004. Claude Lavoie and Martin Jean
With the participation of Laval University’s Centre for Research in Regional Planning and Development and the St. Lawrence Centre, a team of research scientists has drawn up the first description of the river’s invasion by alien plants, reconstructed the history of several plant invasions, and developed the building blocks for a model to predict invasions that could occur along the St. Lawrence River. This report documents the achievements of this research team.
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Maladies des Poissons d'Eau Douce du Québec – Guide de Diagnostic
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State of the Environment Report on the St. Lawrence River. Volume 1: The St. Lawrence Ecosystem
(684 pages, 145 maps and figures)
State of the Environment Report on the St. Lawrence River. Volume 2: The State of the St. Lawrence River
(172 pages, 49 figures and 3 appendix maps)
Our River. Close-up on the St. Lawrence
(16 pages)
This report is presented in two volumes, though it forms a single body of work. The four parts of the first volume assemble the scientific information, while the second volume draws conclusions and establishes a diagnosis of the state of the river. In addition to providing a snapshot of the physical and chemical aspects of the St. Lawrence, volume 1 defines the characteristics by which the river can be divided into distinct hydrographic regions. The second volume analyses the biological characteristics of the river, while the third deals with the various uses made of the river by humans for socioeconomic purposes. The last part of volume 1 identifies the most useful characteristics for assessing the state of health of the river. The resulting conclusions and interrelationships are the subject of the second volume, which presents the conclusions and makes the diagnosis.
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Dynamics and Contamination of St. Lawrence River Sediment. 1997. Claudine Loiselle, Guy R. Fortin, Stéphane Lorrain and Magella Pelletier
This thematic report was produced under the St. Lawrence Vision 2000 Action Plan. It is intended to provide concerned individuals with basic information on the different processes related to the erosion, transport, deposition and contamination of sediments.
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