Québec National Parks, one of the three magnificent Sépaq Networks

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	Conservation Mission

History

On July 3, 1968, the government set up an interdepartmental mission to come up with a management plan for Rivière Yamaska. The plan sought to address the need for hydrologic regime regularization, riverbank protection, and recreational activities, as well as to fight domestic and industrial water pollution.

The Savage-Mills sector was immediately targeted as a future site for a reservoir for the city of Granby. Creating the reservoir meant expropriating over 13.4 sq. km. of land, or 80 properties.

The reservoir, constructed between August 1974 and the fall of 1976, was filled with the help of the 1977 spring thaw. During that time, the area around the reservoir was referred to as Savage-Mills Park (after the former hamlet located near the boat launch) in correspondence between various civil servants. However, the government established the Rivière Yamaska Fishing and Game Reserve on September 20, 1978, and created the Rivière Yamaska Wildlife Reserve on July 11, 1979. But by then, locals were already calling it Parc de la Yamaska. The Ministère du Tourisme, de la Chasse et de la Pêche developed the beach sector between 1977 and 1979. Then, on June 22, 1983, the government created Parc de récréation de la Yamaska.

The park's centrepiece is the Réservoir Choinière. The reservoir is 5.5 km. long, has a maximum width of 2 km. and an area of 4.75 sq. km., and offers many outdoor activities such as fishing, paddleboating, and canoeing. The remaining 8.14 sq. km. of the park occupy former farmlands and forest lands. The park's area totals 12.89 sq. km.

The park occupies a key position in regional tourism, especially given its strategic location on the regional bike path network. The park is an attractive destination for cyclists using La Montérégiade, L'Estriade, La Campagnarde, and La Granbyenne bike paths.