Installing and operating a hydrometric station at Ruisseau aux Castors

Description

This project will be conducted in accordance with Measure 1.4.1 of the 2018–2030 Québec Water Strategy (QWS), which is being coordinated by Direction de l’agroenvironnement et du milieu hydrique (DAEMH), a branch of Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MELCC). This measure set out in the QWS seeks to demonstrate the benefits of improved farming practices, in this case, on the aquatic health of a small, heavily agricultural watershed. It will also analyze the economic impacts of these practices. In line with this objective, IRDA has been mandated to design, install, and operate the hydrometric station at the watershed outlet of Ruisseau aux Castors in the Brome-Missisquoi regional county municipality.

Objective(s)

The hydrometric data collected at the station will help describe and interpret the hydrological functioning of the waterway, by

• measuring flow rates throughout the year, including in winter;
• determining the origin of the water (segmentation of flows via surface or underground hydrological routes);
• examining suspended solids (SS) loads and nutrient runoff (nitrogen and phosphorus); and
• determining the distribution of sediment and nutrient flow rates and fluxes by flow "stratum" (baseline vs. flood) and their seasonality.