Of all the tributaries of the St. Lawrence River present in the area served by the Comité ZIP RNE, the Moulin à Baude River is certainly one of those whose water quality is the most concern. Indeed, it is probable that this watercourse is largely responsible for the closure, as a result of bacteriological contamination, of a shellfish sector located at its mouth. However, we have little information about the waters of this river and the factors that affect their quality. Consequently, it seems a priority to acquire knowledge on this subject in order to establish, in consultation with the community, courses of action aimed at the rehabilitation of this watercourse and its associated uses.
The characterization of the Moulin à Baude River was carried out with this aim in mind. First of all, a summary description of the geographical characteristics of the watershed made possible the delimitation of the study site and to draw a global portrait of the infrastructures and human activities likely to influence the quality of surface water. Subsequently, a review of the available data was carried out concerning: the water quality of the Moulin à Baude river, the associated bacteriological contamination of the shellfish sector, and the efficiency of the wastewater treatment plant located in the watershed.
Secondly, this preliminary study made it possible to make hypotheses concerning the sources of pollution and the environmental factors likely to influence the quality of the water dispersed through the watershed area. In this way, the information to be acquired could be determined, as well as the methodological aspects associated with the characterization work of the Moulin-à Baude River. In the light of the results obtained, recommendations were issued concerning possible short- and medium-term means of action aimed at the rehabilitation of the Moulin à Baude River and the maintenance of human activities in the watershed.
