La Grande Complex: Environmental Follow-Up

Environmental follow-up is used to assess the real impacts of an activity or project, compare them with the anticipated impacts, and evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation and enhancement measures.

Environmental follow-up is part of every phase of a project. To continuously improve the environmental impact assessments for future projects, the lessons learned from following up on previous projects need to be incorporated as early as possible in the process. See the diagram Environmental follow-up program in the project cycle.

For more than two decades, Hydro-Québec and Société d'Énergie de la Baie James have operated a network of 26 environmental monitoring stations covering the entire La Grande hydroelectric complex in the Baie James region of northern Québec. Data collection stations were installed in key locations to monitor changes in the modified aquatic environments.

Objectives of the Environmental Monitoring Network

• Monitor changes in the physical and biological parameters of aquatic environments
• Monitor changes in the main wildlife species in the area and their habitats
• Monitor changes in components of the human environment:
  • Land use
  • Hunting and fishing
  • Economic and sociocultural aspects
  • Impacts on isolated communities of building new access roads

This section provides the bibliographic references for summary technical reports and their abstracts.

Physical environment

• Hydrology and ice regime
  • GENIVAR. 2005. Environmental monitoring at the La Grande complex. Abridged summary report: Hydrology and ice regime of the La Grande Riviere. Report submitted to Hydro-Québec. 27 p.
    English abstract [PDF – 1.7 Mb]
• Grande Rivière winter plume
  • GENIVAR. 2005. Environmental monitoring of the La Grande-2-A and La Grande-1 projects. Abridged summary report 1987-2000: La Grande Riviere winter plume. Report submitted to Hydro-Québec. 27 p. and apps
    English abstract [PDF]
• Bank dynamics of the La Grande Rivière
  • GENIVAR. 2005. Environmental monitoring at the La Grande complex. Abridged summary report: Bank dynamics of the La Grande Rivière. Report submitted to Hydro-Québec. 26 p.
    English abstract [PDF – 2.2 Mb]
• Water quality changes
  • Schetagne, R., R. Lalumière and J. Therrien. 2006. Suivi environnemental du complexe La Grande. Évolution de la qualité de l'eau: Rapport technique d'analyse des données de 1978-2000 (Environmental monitoring at the La Grande complex. Changes in water quality: Technical report of data analysis 1978-2000). Joint report by GENIVAR and Hydro-Québec. 248 p. and apps. (Report in French)
    English abstract [PDF]

Biological environment

• Evolution of fish mercury levels
  • Schetagne, R., J. Therrien and R. Lalumière. 2003. Environmental monitoring at the La Grande complex. Evolution of fish mercury levels: Summary report 1978-2000. Joint report by GENIVAR and Hydro-Québec. 185 p.
    English abstract [PDF]
• Changes in fish communities
  • Therrien, J., R. Verdon and R. Lalumière. 2004. Environmental monitoring at the La Grande complex. Changes in fish communities. Summary report 1977-2000. Joint report by GENIVAR and Hydro-Québec. 129 p. and apps.
    English abstract [PDF – 3.1 Mb]
• Riparian and aquatic vegetation
  • FORAMEC. 2001. Complexe La Grande. Suivi environnemental de la végétation riveraine et aquatique. Rapport synthèse pour la période 1979-1999 (La Grande complex. Environmental monnitoring of riparian and aquatic vegetation. Summary report 1979-1999). Report submitted to Hydro-Québec. 133 p. (Report in French)
    English abstract [PDF]
• Eelgrass meadows of the northeast coast of Baie James
  • GENIVAR. 2005. Environmental monitoring of the La Grande complex. Abridged summary report 1988-2000: Eelgrass meadows of the northeast coast of Baie James. Report submitted to Hydro-Québec. 42 p.
    English abstract [PDF – 9.3 Mb]

Human environment

• Vincent Roquet & Associés. 2006. Environmental follow-up assessment of the La Grande hydroelectric complex. Human impacts generated in the eastern sector. 2nd ed. Report submitted to Hydro-Québec. 2 vol.
  English abstract [PDF]