Summary description of the territory

A majestic river of rich forests

BOUNDARIES AND LOCATION The proposed aquatic reserve has an area of 1 445 km2. It adjoins the Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Outaouais administrative regions.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT The territory seeks to protect the Rivière Dumoine, one of the last major unharnessed rivers in southern Québec, its valley and immediate drainage basin. The source of the roughly 140-km long river is in Lac Machin north of Lac Antiquois. The river flows southward into Lac Dumoine then into the Ottawa River, a dozen kilometres west of Rapides-des-Joachims. The river generally follows a U-shaped valley that becomes increasingly steep as it advances toward the mouth.

BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT The southern half of the reserve is part of the sugar maple-yellow birch climatic domain and the northern half is part of the balsam fir-yellow birch bioclimatic domain. Because of the territory’s size and elongated shape along a north-south axis, it displays a significant array of forest ecosystems, ranging from yellow birch-fir-sugar maple stands to balsam fir-black spruce-white birch stands, balsam fir-red spruce stands, or balsam fir-cedar stands. A valley with occasionally steep sides favours white pine stands and certain sandy environments in the valley bottom can host red pine stands. On the eastern slope of the river valley, near the mouth, peaks are suited to sugar maple-northern red oak stands. Mature forests (80 years or older) are found on nearly two-thirds of the territory under forest cover whereas old-growth forests cover just over half of it.

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT Prior to the colonization of the Témiscamingue region, the territory, which is linked to the Ottawa River, a major travel route for the Aboriginal peoples, may have been extensively occupied as a seasonal camp and frequented, in particular, by the Anishnabeg. The territory has significant archaeological research potential. Some 90 sites have been located. Excavations were carried out in 2002 on one of them. The Rivière Dumoine and its environs are now the site of hunting and fishing. Moreover, the river is a renowned canoe-kayak course of average difficulty (rated 5 stars by the Fédération québécoise de canoé-kayak).

CONTRIBUTION OF THE PROTECTED AREA The reserve is protecting a big river in southern Québec and its valley and a significant portion of its drainage basin. Its forests are diversified, extensive and mature.

PROPOSAL FOR A PERMANENT AQUATIC RESERVE The proposed place name for the granting of permanent status is the Réserve aquatique de la Rivière-Dumoine.

Réserve aquatique projetée de laRivière-Dumoine

Major permitted and prohibited activities1

PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES Pursuant to the Natural Heritage Conservation Act, the main activities prohibited in a territory with the status of a aquatic reserve are:

• Forest development within the meaning of section 3 of the Forest Act (R.S.Q., c. F 4.1);• Mining, gas or oil exploration and development;• Exploitation of hydropower and any commercial or industrial energy production• Any other activity prohibited by the conservation plan or by a regulatory.

PERMITTED ACTIVITIES1 2 • Trapping camps, basic shelters and cabins and their incidental structures allowed by the lease;• Harvesting wood to build an outdoor campfire;• The maintenance or rebuilding of infrastructures;• Trapping, hunting and fishing;• Free access to the territory;• The harvesting of small fruits or plant species for domestic use;• Stays lasting 90 days or less (camping);• Any recreative, touristic or ecotouristic activities;• Domestic animals.

ACTIVITIES SUBJECT TO AUTHORIZATION1 2 3

• The erection, installation or construction of new buildings;• The construction of new infrastructure and new recreational or educational trails;• Soil development work;• Wood harvesting for domestic purposes.

For more information:http://www.mddefp.gouv.qc.ca/biodiversite/aires_protegees/consultation/abitibi-temis/index.htmhttp://www.mddefp.gouv.qc.ca/biodiversite/aquatique/dumoine/PSC_Dumoine.pdf

1 Pursuant to the Natural Heritage Conservation Act, any other form of permit or authorization pursuant to another statute or regulation is compulsory.

2 The conservation plan can prohibited any activity if it impacts the biodiversity.3 Authorization criterias apply.

Photo: M.-A. Bouchard MDDEFP

Photo: M.-A. Bouchard MDDEFP

Photo: M.-A. Bouchard MDDEFP

²³

!7

Lac Dix Milles

Lac auxSangsues

LacRussell

LacDumoine

Lac Ramé

Lac Laforge

LacMalouin

LacBrûlart

Lac duLièvre

LacCullin

LacBenwah

LacIngley

LacPerdu

LacStevens

Lac duPinceau

LacPenniseault

LacRobinson

Rivière

LacSheerway

LacSaint-Cirque

LacFerris

LacDuncan

Dumoine

Rivière

Dumoine

Lac Cabazié

Lac du Pin BlancLac du Fils

Lac Sept Milles

LacSix Milles

Rivière

des

Outa

ouais

(Lac

Hold

en

)

LacVaucour

LacsAumond

LacSaint-PatriceLac

Corrigan

Lac Marion

Lac Algonquin

Lacaux Foins

LacWatson

LacSandeau

Lac Antiquois

Lac de l'Orignal

Lac Joncas

LacLarive

Lac Gardner

Lacdes Baies

Grandlac Victoria

LacHawkesbury

Lacdu Vieillard

Lac àla Truite

Lac laPerche

LacBabinet

Lac Florio

Réserve faunique La Vérendrye

ZEC Dumoine

ZEC Kipawa

ZECRapides-des-Joachims

ZEC Saint-Patrice

ZECRestigo

ZECRestigo

ZECMaganasipi

Pourvoiriedu Lac à la Truite inc.

Territoire désigné(Lac Watson)

Pourvoirie Kipawa (1991) inc.

Pourvoirie du Lac Dix MillesPourvoirie

Triple "R" inc.

169240 Canada inc.Réservoir Dozois (TNO)

Les Lacs-Témiscamingues(TNO)

Rése

rvoir D

ozois

(TNO

)AB

ITIB

I-TÉM

ISCA

MING

UES

OUTA

OUAI

SLa

c-Niga

ult (T

NO)

Lac-N

igault

(TNO)

Municip

alité d

e She

enbo

ro

Municipalité de Rapides-des-Joachims

ABIT IBI-TÉMISCAMINGUESLes La cs-Témiscamingues(TNO)

OUTAOUAIS

Lac-Nigault (TNO)

OUTAOUAISAB ITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE

ONTAR

IO

°

La réserve aquatique projetée de la Rivière-Dumoine

less than 250 meters

from 250 to 300 meters

from 300 to 350 meters

from 350 to 400 meters

from 400 to 450 meters

more than 450 metersElevation

10 km0

Réserve aquatique projetée de la Rivière-Dumoine

Legend

Réserve aquatique projetéede la Rivière-Dumoine

Occupation

Shelter lease

Vacation lease²³Controlled harvesting zone

Other protected areas

Outfitter

Wildlife reserve

Fire tower!AOutfitter camp²³

Outfitter camp²¶Boundary (administrative region, MRC, municipality) Natural province

Natural region

Physiographic ensemble

Mining right

Active

In demand