As part of a large hydroelectric project in northern Québec (Canada), a portion of the flow of the Rupert River was diverted toward the existing La Grande hydroelectric complex. As a result of the partial diversion, the discharge of the Rupert River at its mouth is reduced by an average of 50% annually. This corresponds to an 18% decrease in the total freshwater inflow into the bay and, thus, to a shift of the upstream limit of the saltwater intrusion in Rupert Bay. Changes in saltwater intrusion had been predicted numerically as part of the project’s environmental impact assessment (EIA). In the project’s conditions of authorization, monitoring the hydraulic conditions and the extent of saltwater intrusion in the Rupert Bay was required by government authorities. The objective of this paper is to present the results of this environmental monitoring and, more specifically, to validate the modifications predicted in the EIA in terms of both saltwater intrusion limit and hydraulic conditions in the Rupert Bay. Results obtained during 2 years of monitoring are within the predicted trends and order of magnitude of changes anticipated in the EIA. The results, thus, confirm that the shift of the upstream limit of the saltwater front along the channels of the bay was conservatively predicted by numerical modeling.
Floodplain management and stonnwater management have many similarities and should ideally be analyzed in an integrated way for effective planning. Historically, these two planning activities have evolved as separate tasks and are often carried out in an isolated way, the latter being most often associated directly with a local government, whereas the former is usually the responsibility (and financed by) a provincial or federal ministry. When some problems appear at the mtmicipallevel and part of the solution is tied to a regional and floodplain management plan, this artificial separation can sometimes prevent optimal solutions. Also, when land development in the floodplain is considered, specific and sometimes innovative solutions have to be implemented in order to be able to continue the urban development without affecting the level of protection.After a general discussion of historical developments in North America and specifically in the Province of Quebec, concepts and types of interactions between the two planning activities are presented. A case study for the City of Saint-Constant, on the south shore of the St-Lawrence River near Montreal, is then given to highlight specific stonnwater management approaches. The approaches protect existing areas or enable land development in the floodplain, taking into account the entire watershed hydrologic response. The interface problems/opportunities between floodplain and stonnwater management are also presented and discussed.
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