In a article published on May 4, we raised the repercussions that the Domaine de la Montagne Noire real estate project would have on the wetlands and water environments of Lake Archambault. We communicated these concerns in a letter addressed to the Saint-Donat municipal council on April 11, but the letter remained unanswered. The day after our publication, the deputy general manager of the municipality and director of sustainable development wanted to correct certain facts that we consider essential to share for an adequate understanding of the situation.
No encroachment on wetlands
Before any work of this scale, the municipality of Saint-Donat requires developers to provide a characterization of the land in order to identify water and wet environments. In this case, the current and planned work on the residential project of 38 chalets and the hotel complex is located a minimum of 60 meters from wetlands. For comparison, this is four to six times further from the shore than the regulatory requirements provide for any construction, depending on the slope of the land.
These are access points to water that could be located in wetlands, for which the developer will have to request additional authorizations. In short, here, there has been no encroachment on wetlands.
With regard to the lot identified as zone of first conservation priority* planned by the MRC of Matawinie, located on the edge of Chemin de Régimbald, Saint-Donat affirms that no work has been started on the said lot. Its permit issuing software is the cause of a misunderstanding.
Erosion episode
There was indeed erosion of fine sediment into the wetlands during the first day of work, following heavy rain. After the publication of our article, a request was made by the municipality of Saint-Donat for the developer to add a sedimentation basin at the base of the work road as a preventive measure so as to intercept any sediment runoff in the event of rain. diluvian.
Citizens alerted the Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change (MELCC) following another spill of sand in a marsh on May 1. We mentioned this information to the municipality, which had not been aware of this event, and which ensures that it carries out inspections on a regular basis.
Risk ofeutrophication Archambault Lake?
Taking a look at the physicochemical data of water collected from Lake Archambault in the summer of 2021, we see that the water quality is good. Quantity of phosphorus, chlorophyll and dissolved organic carbon: no degradation to note over the last ten years either.
Could the Domaine de la Montagne Noire project alone compromise the health of Lake Archambault, to the extent that there would be new users of motorboats? It's unlikely. What's more, the municipality imposes compulsory boat washing stations to counter the introduction of invasive exotic species. The establishment of regulations governing the navigation of motorboats could certainly contribute to the improvement of aquatic ecosystems in the long term.
The Montagne Noire project is part of the recreational tourism development vision of Saint-Donat, including that of developing tourist accommodation around one of the municipality's attractions, such as the Montagne Noire national trail. Obviously, any development comes with its share of problems, but everything suggests that this project is being carried out in compliance with environmental practices that respect wetlands and Lake Archambault.
*Conservation priorities are defined in the Regional Wetland and Water Plans (PRMHH). This is a strategic discussion document which aims to integrate the conservation of wet and water environments (MHH) into land use planning, by promoting sustainable and structuring development. The submission of the PRMHH is planned for the summer of 2022. It will be adopted and then applied subsequently.
