Evaluation of the effect of environmental factors on the temporal variation of fish communities observed at the Vianney-Legendre fishway site

The Vianney-Legendre fishway is a structure that allows several species of fish to pass around the historic Saint-Ours Canal dam on the Richelieu River. In particular, the fishway enables the endangered copper redhorse (Moxostoma hubbsi) to reach its breeding grounds further upstream. The fishway, which is equipped with a capture cage, has also enabled detailed monitoring of the passage of nearly 60 species since its commissioning in 2001.

However, the frequency and period of observation of several species appear to have changed, which could be attributable to altered environmental conditions, the condition of the fishway or its operating regime. This project aims to evaluate the effect of environmental factors on the temporal variation of fish communities observed at the Vianney-Legendre fishway site.

This project is being undertaken in collaboration with Marc-Antoine Couillard, Daniel Hatin and Nathalie Vachon of the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs.