Reservoirs and Dams

Lièvre WatershedThe Lièvre River watershed is a sub-basin of the Ottawa River.

• Drainage Area: approximately 9542 km2
• General Direction Flow: Southerly
• Headwaters: Head Lake, situated at the very North of the watershed
• Confluence: The Ottawa River at the Masson-Angers section of the City of Gatineau
• Municipalities: 28
• Approximate Population: 38,841
  
• Total Length:330km in length
• Predominant Land Cover: Forest (75%)
• Predominant Land Use: Forestry and agriculture
• Rivers and Tributaries: Mitchinamecus, Kiamika et Sourd rivers

The watershed is bound by the Gatineau River watershed to the West, the Petite Nation River to the South, and the Rouge River watershed to the North East. The area which drains the LièvreRiver watershed crosses three administrative regions. The Laurentides region is the most important with an area of 81% of the watershed, the Ottawa region is second with 13% of the watershed, and finally the Lanaudière region makes up 6% of the territory of the watershed.

Adapted from "Pour la qualité de l'eau du bassin versant de la Lièvre: PORTRAIT" (French only), published by Comité du bassin versant de la rivière du Lièvre (COBALI), 2005.

Lièvre WatershedLievre River. Source: COBALIUntil 1993 the practice of floating logs down the Lièvre River was big business. Unfortunately, as the logs floated in the water the residue of wood and bark began to break down - this had a detrimental effect on the river's water quality as it increased the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), i.e. it reduced the concentration of oxygen in the water.

Wood and bark are made of organic substances (lignin and tannin) and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). The tannins and lignin cause the water to become dark (a yellow-brown colour) in some places where there are a lot of logs.

However, the effects and impact of these organic substances on the water quality are difficult to quantify. In 2002, the Advisory Committee on managing the Lièvre River (CCGRL) organized an initiative to harvesting the floating logs which remain in the river. 150 cords of wood were removed from the river in the Val-des-Bois area, in St. Aimé-du-Lac-des-Iles. Not all of the logs were removed, and many remain at the bottom of the river and on the shoreline.

Lièvre WatershedWater levels fluctuate according to climate, rainfall, spring flooding and other natural factors. On the Lièvre River, water flow is measured at the various dams and stations.

Adapted from "Diagnostic et choix des enjeux, published by the Comité du bassin versant de la rivière du Lièvre (COBALI), 2006

Lièvre WatershedPublic land makes up 78% of the territory within the Lièvre River watershed. Most of this land is situated in the unorganized territories of the northern portion of the watershed. Logging is carried out on close to 75% of the territory, while 17% of the land is used for farming.

Logging, forest management and the wood industry are important activities for the local economy, as is tourism, which also relies on the forest for hunting, fishing and, increasingly, other outdoor activities.

Adapted from "Pour la qualité de l'eau du bassin versant de la Lièvre: PORTRAIT", published by the Comité du bassin versant de la rivière du Lièvre (COBALI), 2005.

Cerf de Virginie / White-tailed deerThe diverse physical geography of the Lievre watershed  (plain, plateau lakes, rivers) provides natural habitats for a large range of wildlife species.

However, changes to the natural environment, such as the draining of wetlands, construction of roads and homes, removing shoreline vegetation and waves, causes erosion and increase water temperatures. These impacts are especially negative when they occur during fish spawning periods, and may directly affect the survival of certain populations of fish. Which in turn may affect the survival of certain species of birds that nest or live near water bodies and even small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Human changes to the environment can threaten the biodiversity of ecosystems.

Adapted from "Pour la qualité de l'eau du bassin versant de la Lièvre: PORTRAIT>", published by the Comité du bassin versant de la rivière du Lièvre (COBALI) (the Lièvre Watershed Authority), 2005.

Lièvre WatershedCanoeing and Kayaking

In 1993, the practice of floating logs down the Lièvre River gave way to boating activities, which had formerly been extremely limited due to the danger of collision with the floating logs. The upstream portion of the river allows boaters to enjoy wilderness areas that are still virtually untouched. Némiscachingue Lake and the Mitchinamecus reservoir, two major tributaries of the Lièvre River, are highly popular with pleasure craft operators.

From Némiscachingue Lake to Iveteaux Lake, via Toulouse, Culotte, Adonis and Orthès lakes, close to 100 km of the river has been mapped for canoeing and kayaking. The Cent-Lacs, Lounan and Menjo outfitters are located along this section of the river, which also winds through the Normandie and Mazana ZECs (controlled harvesting zones).