Canada and Quebec take steps to avoid repeat of Saguenay flooding

The Quebec and Canadian Ministries of the Environment are jointly reviewing Hydro-Quebec’s proposals for preventing a recurrence of the disastrous 1996 flooding in the Saguenay region.
After the massive flooding which swept away almost everything in its path, Hydro Quebec was asked to study ways of controlling water levels in the Lake Kenogami watershed region.
The goal is to keep the water level on Lake Kenogami stable during the summer to meet the needs of the shoreline residents, but at the same time they want to prevent flooding in the Chicioutimi River and riviere au Sables.
Hydro-Quebec’s proposals are for building a reservoir on the Pikauba river, 30 kilometres upstream from the lake, and for constructing a sill in the riviere au Sables and consolidating existing dikes on the periphery of Kenogami Lake. The utility also says the region needs to have an upgraded flood forecasting system.
On July 28 Canadian Minister of the Environment, David Anderson, and Quebec Minister of the Environment, Thomas J. Mulcair, signed a collaborative agreement that sets out the terms for conducting an environmental assessment of the proposals.