The Comité ZIP Sud-de-l'Estuaire has completed a biophysical characterization and completed the first phase of restoration of part of the Montmagny High Marsh thanks to a funding of 257,735$ which includes $ 175,110 from the Community Interactions Program (PIC) and $ 20,000 from the Town of Montmagny. The three-year financial package also includes the contribution of the MRC de Montmagny, the Biopterre development center, and the collaboration of Nature Québec, the UQAR geoscience research chair, and the UQAR geography department.
The portrait of the state of the coastal high marsh located west of the Rivière-du-Sud was carried out in the summer of 2016. The erosion by the St. Lawrence causes the decline and the disappearance of large areas of meadows wetlands of great ecological value at this location. There is also a strong presence of invasive species accidentally introduced, such as Phragmites australis, and some anthropogenic developments that amplify the phenomenon. These marshes are unique since they are composed of plants adapted to fresh to brackish waters and the action of winter ice. Some of these plants are found exclusively in the St. Lawrence Estuary region. This is the case of a threatened species, Gentiane de victorin. A plantation of 1,500 square meters was carried out using native species (carex, Spartina anglica, etc.) and plant engineering (cuttings of willow shrubs). Nearly 20,000 plants were planted in the summer of 2017. Awareness-raising activities focused on enhancing the richness of coastal flora and fauna will also be offered to residents.
