MEMBERSHIP-EN
LAKE-WEALTH
THE MAPS OF LAKE AND ITS AFFLUENTS
THE RICHES OF LAKE I CARE ABOUT IT
Physical and morphological characteristics
Brome Lake represents a large basin measuring some 14.6 km2 in size. On the east side, it is bordered by Foster, Gauvin and Glenn mountains and it is here that the Coldbrook begins its journey. The lake is mainly fed by 8 tributaries which together measure some 278 km.
A few facts about the lake
- Perimeter: 20.6 km
- Average depth: 6.3 m.
- Maximum depth (in the trench): 12.8 m.
- Water renewal time: 10.2 months
- Total volume of water: 94.6 million m3
- Average discharge rate: 3.9 m3 (Foster dam)
- The high water level is some 197.28 metres above sea level.
- The lake is very urbanized: there are more than 400 private residences surrounding it in addition to over 300 condos and camping sites.
Water cycle
The water is absorbed by the ground to ensure that the water table is recharged; part of the water is also absorbed by plants and trees to help them grow and it eventually rises as steam into the atmosphere (evapo-transpiration). In a natural setting, with little artificialisation, the use of water for percolation and evaporation represents at least 40% of the fallen water. In the major cities, it is frequently less than 10% which percolates or evaporates, the remainder flows at great speed through the culverts and lakes.
At Brome Lake, we estimate that run-off water counts for about 60% of the water in the lake. Water evaporates because of the effects of the sun and returns to the atmosphere.
We should also note that every drop of rain which falls on the territory will one day or another find itself in the lake, whether it falls 100 metres or 10 kilometres from the lake. The notion of a drainage basin well explains this phenomenon(THE WATERSHED)
Water flow
RBL began a study in 2010 which would permit it to prioritize some of its actions and to draw up policies that would serve to protect Brome Lake. Thanks to this study, it will be possible to better understand the water run-off situation in the lake starting with the behaviour of the main tributaries when the flow is low, medium or high.
The results will permit a better response to such situations as:
- Does the water flowing from Quilliams Brook (the principal tributary, almost 50% comes from this source) have much of an impact on the lake given its location so close to the outlet?
- In the advent that fertilizer is spread in an area close to the lake, what is its probable penetration into the lake?
- In the advent of a spill of toxic products along route 243 (chemin Lakeside), what would be the foreseeable impact?
- How does the water flow when there is a major input of water, when there are high winds?
- What is the impact on the lake when the gates are opened at the end of the lake (according to an agreement with Bromont, VLB must supply at all times at least 0.88 m3/sec.), etc.?
RBL mandated a team of researchers from the Engineering faculty at the Université de Sherbrooke. These specialists, hydrologists and experts in water quality in 2010 carried out a first hydraulic modelisation and hydro-dynamic phase (Quilliams watershed and the lake itself).
To find out more:
Foster Dam
Renaissance Brome Lake has prepared a study about the level of the lake and the water which leaves from the Foster dam. We know that these two paramaters are very important for the quality of the water in the lake, recreational activities and the supply of drinking water to the town of Bromont. These parameters are managed according to an agreement between Ville de Lac-Brome, Ville de Bromont and the government of Quebec. How is the Foster dam managed? What is the level of the lake? Are there changes to make? This is an interesting study to consult (in french).
The watershed
The watershed is the portion of the territory delineated by the highest lines, including the waters which feed a common mouth : water courses, lake, sea, ocean, etc. Each watershed is subdivided into a number of elementary basins (sometimes called sub watersheds) corresponding to the surface feeding of the tributaries which flow into the principal body of water.
The Brome Lake watershed covers a surface area of 186.7 km2. Increasingly, the public authorities recognize that water policies must be managed according to the characteristics of each drainage basin. This is what we call management by drainage basin.
Water which runs in a drainage basin makes up the administrative limits of that basin. In this way the Brome Lake drainage basin encompasses 8 municipalities, in whole or in part. These include the municipalities of :
- Bolton-Ouest (43%)
- Lac-Brome (31%)
- Stukely-Sud (18%)
and to a lesser degree the municipalities of:
- St-Étienne de Bolton (5%)
- Canton de Shefford (2%)
- Bolton-Est (,5%)
- Waterloo (,07%)
These municipalities are attached to two MRCs, Brome Missisquoi and Memphremagog.
The Brome Lake watershed includes 8 principal tributaries and some 30 smaller streams which flow directly into the lake. The watershed is 72.7% forest covered. Agriculture makes up 15.7% of the territory. There are about 3375 housing units in the watershed and a population of around 6000 persons. Except for about 2000 housing units in Brome Lake, all residences have private septic installations.
Aerial map of Brome Lake
Subwatersheds
En 2012, un mandat de caractérisation et de diagnostic du bassin de tête du ruisseau Coldbrook a été donné à une équipe de scientifiques du regroupement des associations pour la protection de l’environnement des lacs (RAPPEL). Ce projet réalisé en 2012 a permis de confirmer que le réseau routier est le principal responsable de la dégradation de l’eau dans ce secteur et que des mesures correctrices pour améliorer les infrastructures municipales seraient à implanter. Plus de 41 sites ont été identifiés et des propositions concrètes ont été faites aux autorités municipales.
Par la suite trois autres rapports de caractérisation ont été réalisés:
- Rapport de caractérisation du ruisseau Quilliams (2013) (territoire de la municipalité de Stukely-Sud)
- Rapport de caractérisation du ruisseau Pearson (2014) (territoire de Ville de Lac-Brome)
- Rapport de caractérisation du ruisseau Inverness (2015) (territoire de Ville de Lac-Brome).
RLB est convaincue que ce rapport constitue une très bonne source de renseignements pour les responsables des municipalités concernées (Travaux publics) qui voudront appliquer les correctifs nécessaires à la qualité de l’eau ruissellant dans leurs fossés et sur leurs routes. Pour consulter les rapport, cliquez sur les liens qui suivent.
Caracterisation du Colbrook
Caracterisation du Quilliams
Caracterisation du Pearson
Caractérisation du Inverness
Wildlife
RBL, in a collaborative effort with researchers and biologists, has carried out an important study of the fauna in the Brome Lake area. This study has provided a detailed inventory of the fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians which populate the tributaries and the lake’s eight wetlands: Quilliams, Mc Laughlin (Tiffany), Argyll, Coldbrook, Pearson (Parc Eugène) and Inverness brooks, the Yamaska river (at the lake outlet) and Mill Pond.
These inventories are part of the framework approach for the protection and conservation of the Brome Lake wetlands that RBL has proposed. Together they play an important role for the quality of the lake’s water as well as sheltering an animal biodiversity and rich and important vegetation for the sound functioning of the ecosystem.
To our knowledge, these inventories are the first to have taken place in the Brome Lake wetlands which, we hope, will also permit us to identify precarious, rare and threatened species.
While waiting for the results, here are a few photos which were taken during our inventory work.
Shiners (Notropis bifrenatus) : Another species designated as being of Special Concern in Quebec and registered on the list of the law on species in peril in Canada. The shiner is a small fish with a slim body with a black lateral band which extends from head to tail. It was found in two Brome Lake tributaries, Pearson and Coldbrook.
Rusty Crayfish
Au mois de septembre, l’équipe de la semaine verte s’est déplacée au Lac Brome afin de tourner un reportage sur les écrevisses à taches rouges. RLB tient à informer ses membres que le reportage passera, à la télévision, au réseau de Radio Canada, ce samedi le 26 janvier 2019 à 17h00.
Une espèce d’écrevisse envahissante au lac Brome!
Il s’agit d’une « écrevisse importée des États-Unis considérée comme envahissante et nuisible car elle a tendance à détruire et modifier la végétation aquatique, ce qui perturbe l’habitat de nombreux invertébrés, incluant les écrevisses indigènes » (voir Desroches et Picard, Poissons d’eau douce du Québec et des Maritimes, Ed. Michel Quintin, 2013).
L’écrevisse à taches rouges peut atteindre 10 cm et est facilement reconnaissable aux deux taches rouges circulaires de chaque côté du thorax. Elle a possiblement été introduite au lac Brome il y a quelques années par des pêcheurs qui l’ont utilisée comme appât.
Nous ne croyons pas que cette écrevisse ait un impact négatif sur la qualité de l’eau ni de la baignade. Par contre, ses effets sur la faune sont plus ou moins connus. Nous tenterons d’en savoir plus. En attendant, inspectez vos embarcations et l’eau transportée (ballast ou autres).
Aquatic plants
Aquatic plants… friends or foes?
Few people can identify any of the 35 species of aquatic plants that grow in Brome Lake. However, the distress of some users of the lake, aquatic plants appear as soon as in June. In too great numbers, the can become a nuisance for swimmers, fishers, pleasure-boaters and others. They can also choke the lake’s necessary oxygen supply and some invasive species risk replacing indigenous plants and harming biodiversity.
It would wrong, however, to regard aquatic plants as our enemies, because the help improve water quality. This they do by keeping sediment at the bottom of the lake, providing habitat for many organisms (including Brome Lake’s little star, the bridle shiner, considered a vulnerable fish species) and absorbing many of the lake nutrients, thus competing with the blue-green algae.
Prevention remains the best way to control the density of aquatic plants: install an effective shoreline buffer and don’t use fertilizers, which will only encourage plant growth. Also avoid churning up sediments and breaking up plants with boat propellers.
If you are interested, please read the following presentation (bilingual).
Aquatic plants (English)
Aquatic plants… friends or foes?
Few people can identify any of the 35 species of aquatic plants that grow in Brome Lake. However, the distress of some users of the lake, aquatic plants appear as soon as in June. In too great numbers, the can become a nuisance for swimmers, fishers, pleasure-boaters and others. They can also choke the lake’s necessary oxygen supply and some invasive species risk replacing indigenous plants and harming biodiversity.
It would wrong, however, to regard aquatic plants as our enemies, because the help improve water quality. This they do by keeping sediment at the bottom of the lake, providing habitat for many organisms (including Brome Lake’s little star, the bridle shiner, considered a vulnerable fish species) and absorbing many of the lake nutrients, thus competing with the blue-green algae.
Prevention remains the best way to control the density of aquatic plants: install an effective shoreline buffer and don’t use fertilizers, which will only encourage plant growth. Also avoid churning up sediments and breaking up plants with boat propellers.
If you are interested, please read the following presentation (bilingual).
Plantes aquatiques (French)
Souvent, au grand désarroi de certains utilisateurs du lac, les plantes aquatiques font leur apparition dès le mois de juin. En trop grand nombre, elles peuvent devenir dérangeantes pour les utilisateurs du lac, qu’ils soient nageurs, kayakistes, pêcheurs ou plaisanciers. De plus, une trop grande densité de plantes aquatiques contribue à appauvrir en oxygène l’eau du lac. Également, certaines espèces envahissantes peuvent remplacer les plantes indigènes et nuire à la biodiversité du lac.
Il serait cependant faux de considérer les plantes aquatiques comme des ennemies, car elles contribuent malgré tout à améliorer la qualité de l’eau. En effet, elles aident à maintenir les sédiments au fond du lac, servent d’habitat pour une multitude d’organismes (dont le méné d’herbe, petit poisson vedette au lac Brome, considéré comme espèce vulnérable) et absorbent une bonne proportion des nutriments qui enrichissent le lac (elles font donc compétition aux algues bleu-vert).
En conclusion, la prévention reste le meilleur moyen de contrôler la densité des plantes aquatiques : installer une bande riveraine efficace, ne pas utiliser de produits susceptibles de nourrir les plantes (engrais). Également, éviter de brasser les sédiments et de fragmenter les plantes par les hélices à moteur.
Peu de citoyens sont capables d’identifier l’une ou l’autre des 35 espèces de plantes aquatiques qui poussent au lac Brome. Si le sujet vous intéresse, consulter la présentation ci-dessous.
Presentation sur les plantes aquatiques. (ennemies ou amies)
Herbarium
La firme de consultants en environnement Biofilia Inc a réalisé une étude sur les herbiers aquatiques du lac Brome afin d’améliorer les connaissances concernant le lac et fournir des recommandations visant à mieux contrôler et freiner l’expansion des plantes aquatiques. L’étude s’est effectuée en septembre 2009 sur 313 ha et couvre la zone littorale 0-3m du lac Brome.
Selon cette étude :
- Les herbiers aquatiques couvrent une superficie de 208,8 ha représentant 14,4 % de la couverture du lac.
- On retrouve 179,29 ha (85,87 %) d’herbiers submergés, 11,17 ha (5,35 %) d’herbiers flottants et 18,34 ha (8,78 %) d’herbiers émergents.
- Un total de 35 espèces aquatiques ont été observées durant les inventaires; Les espèces dominantes des herbiers submergés sont Chara sp., Elode canadensis, Heteranthera dubia, Najas flexilis, Sagittaria cristata et Vallisneria americana.
- Les espèces dominantes des herbiers flottants sont Nuphar varigeata et Sparganium fluctuans.
- Les espèces dominantes des herbiers émergents sont Eleocharis palustris, Pontederia cordata, Scirpus lacustris et Typha latifolia.
- Une espèce susceptible d’être désignée menacée ou vulnérable, Utricularia gemmiscapa, a été retrouvée dans la portion est de la baie où se situe la marina Knowlton.
- Un total de 15 échantillons de sédiments a été prélevé. La profondeur des sédiments mous varie de 5 cm à 70 cm.
- Les zones eutrophes, mésotrophes et oligotrophes couvrent respectivement 102,39 ha (32,7 %), 66,01 ha (21,13 %) et 136,17 ha (43,58 %) de la zone littorale 0-3m (313 ha).
- Dans l’ensemble, le lac Brome pourrait être considéré, au niveau d’eutrophisation équivalent des herbiers aquatiques, comme étant un lac oligotrophe.
- Les herbiers aquatiques semblent avoir disparu dans certains secteurs et augmenté dans d’autres en comparaison à ceux relevés en 1974 et 1979. On note une diminution dans la baie Robinson, au nord-ouest du lac et à la plage Douglas et une augmentation entre l’exutoire du lac et le ruisseau Quilliams.
- À long terme, un apport continu de limons, de matières organiques et de nutriments peut, selon les quantités, rendre inutiles les efforts d’aménagement d’un lac.
- On relève trois (3) grands secteurs où l’on recommande que des actions inter-municipales soient apportées à l’échelle du bassin versant pour éviter les problèmes d’eutrophisation accélérés du lac. Ainsi, des efforts de rétablissements du plan d’eau doivent débuter par :
- un plan directeur de reboisement des bandes riveraines de tout le bassin hydrographique du lac Brome;
- un programme de contrôle de l’érosion et de sédimentation applicable aux infrastructures routières;
- un plan de gestion des sources de nutriments (phosphore, nitrite, nitrate, etc.)visant à empêcher leur transport dans le bassin versant.
Pour en savoir plus :
Étude des herbiers aquatiques du lac Brome
Inventories
Au début d’octobre, une équipe du ministère du développement durable, de l’environnement, de la faune et des parcs (MDDEFP) était au lac Brome. Il s’agissait de la troisième phase du projet d’inventaires des poissons. Toute la semaine, les biologistes du ministère se sont affairés à inventorier les poissons présents dans le littoral à l’aide de la senne.
On se rappellera que les premières phases avaient consisté en des prises au filet maillant sur 15 stations pré-déterminées. Finalement, des plongeurs professionnels ont exploré les fosses et quelques autres zones ciblées pour nous rapporter des photos et des vidéos.
Les résultats de ces inventaires seront publiés et présentés au printemps 2014, en particulier lors de notre assemblée publique du mois de mai.
Un grand merci à tous nos partenaires pour cet important projet: Ville de Lac-Brome, Pacte rural de la MRC Brome Missisquoi, Ministère du Développement durable, de l’environnement, de la faune et des parcs (MDDEFP).
Responsible boat ownerS
Navigation on water bodies falls under federal jurisdiction. How is it that elected officials from municipal and regional governments as well as the authorities from the MDDEP (Quebec’s ministry of sustainable development, environment and parks) are always hurling themselves against the wall of obtuse federal policies in matters of fresh water navigation issues on bodies of water which have no inter-provincial connections. At the MRC Memphrémagog, at lac St-Adolphe-d’Howard, at lac Bowker, at Brome Lake, to name but a few, citizens are living situations of lack of respect for the environment and the health of lakes and this brings on a good deal of frustrations and a let-down in enthusiasm. We should repatriate to Quebec the federal jurisdiction for water bodies that are not connected to the interprovincial network.As early as 2007, RBL established beyond a doubt the effects of the passage of the motor boat in stirring up sediments when the water depth is less than 3 metres. Since that time we have been encouraging municipal authorities to demand that pleasure boat operators circulate at the posted speed in a protected zone (150 metres from the shoreline) and in 3-metre depth water.
RBL is promoting 3 things:
- no-wake zone in the 150 m zone
- minimum of 3 m depth for motorboat circulation
- 300 m zone from the shoreline for wake boats.
To find out more
Responsible Boaters Code Brome Lake
Recommendations for motor boat circulation on Brome Lake
How motor boats affect the health of a lake, part 1, article by Peter F.Wade
How motor boats affect the health of a lake, part 2, article by Peter F.Wade
Shoreline Renaturalization Program
There’s a by-law in force which stipulates that there must be a shoreline vegetation band that buffers Brome Lake (10 metres if the slope of the property in question is 30 degrees or less and 15 metres if the slope is more than 30 degrees). In this space along the shoreline, it is also forbidden to mow grass, even in the fall.
Many shoreline dwellers however do not want to see scrub brush crop up along their band and would prefer to plant some more interesting species of plants.
To facilitate the renaturalisation of these shorelines, RBL has been offering an interesting variety of plants since 2008. These offerings normally take place at the beginning of June. Since this program began some 9000 plants have been distributed. They are all native species and come from a producer who specialises in the production of these varieties. They include:
- Sweet gale
- Large-leaved Meadow-sweet
- Dogwood
- Rose
- Willow shrub
- Potentilla
Starting in 2012, the MRC Brome-Missisquoi’s regional nursery will be able to distribute a large variety of plants, adapted to shoreline buffer zones. This facility is located on the Ville de Lac-Brome and town citizens will be able to acquire 5000 of the 20,000 plants produced annually. We will keep you posted about the unfolding of the 2012 planting program.
- A guide to help you select from among ferns, graminates, perennials, shrubs or trees;
- A search tool where by specifying one or another of 11 criteria (rusticity zone, exposure to sun, desired height of plant, soil type, soil humidity, etc.) the system suggest a choice of vegetation.
List of suggested vegetation for renaturalisation
Les arbustes et les plantes grimpantes, RLB, 2008
By-laws and regulations
To learn more
La Fédération interdisciplinaire d’horticulture ornementale du Québec lien http://www.fihoq.qc.ca/
Tree Planting Program
En 2008, Renaissance lac Brome lançait son programme de reboisement des rives dans l’ensemble du bassin versant du lac Brome.
Ecological lawn care
Fragile ecological zones
The physical environment of the Ville de Lac-Brome territory, like those of the surrounding municipalities, features valleys, rolling hills, picturesque quaint sites, open fields and forested areas. The nature of the rocky soil (such as the foliated metamorphic rock in Sutton) creates a situation in which water streams and then accumulates very little in the underground reservoirs.
This situation contributes to a large number of fragile or sensitive ecological zones in the territory, such as:
- Water courses (there are 8 major water courses in the Brome Lake watershed and a multitude of smaller bodies of water many of which have never been inventoried, 1 major water course in the lac Bromont watershed and 3 major bodies in the lac d’Avignon watershed);
- Wetlands, including bogs;
- Wetlands with special characteristics identified as “hot spots” by the biologists at ACA (Appalachian Corridor).
RBL estimates that these particularly fragile zones cover a surface of some 23.6km², representing about 11.5% of territory 19. The strategic environmental importance of these zones justifies appropriate protection measures and public policy application.
There is a swath of land with a minimum width of 300 metres starting at the high water level around the lake – and which drains directly into it – which constitutes a new zone to be protected with special enforcement measures. This zone corresponds with an emerging definition known as “river corridor” as defined by MAMROT (the French acronym for the ministry of municipal affairs, regions and territories) and represents 10.0 km² excluding the surface of the lake, and drains directly into it.
All of these wetlands and bodies of water, inventoried or not, should be integrated into a conservation zone including their shorelines and flood plains. The wetlands have become a priority issue with the biologists at ACA as they study their full extent while assessing and characterizing them (phases 1-2-3-4); in the case of the non-inventoried wetlands, the situation to be confirmed should always take precedent.
DOCUMENTS RELATED TO THIS PAGE
Sixty-two species of dragonflies (and counting) detected in the Quilliams Wildlife Reserve 2015-01-27
The Colibris wharf situation the town and its councillors cave! 2015-06-17
Links and partners
Renaissance lac Brome bénéficie du soutien financier de plusieurs organismes. Sans eux, plusieurs projets ne pourraient voir le jour. Ce sont principalement:
La mise en place de projets afin d’améliorer la qualité de l’eau repose sur la collaboration de plusieurs intervenants. Divers ministères du gouvernement du Québec interviennent par :
- des règlements sur les installations septiques ;
- le suivi des plans d’eau contaminés ;
- l’attribution de montants pour des projets pilote (gestion du ruissellement, le contrôle de l’érosion ou de stabilisation des berges).
La MRC Brome-Missisquoi a la responsabilité d’établir une politique de gestion des cours d’eau et d’en faire le suivi.
Les municipalités de Bolton-Ouest, du Canton de Shefford, de Stukely-Sud et ville de Lac-Brome adoptent des règlements concernant l’amélioration de la qualité de l’eau :
- La naturalisation et la protection des bandes riveraines
- Les mesures visant le contrôle de l’érosion
- L’utilisation des pesticides et les engrais
- L‘entretien des installations septiques
- La protection des milieux humides et des cours d’eau
Sites Internet officiels
Ministère du Développement Durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs
MDDEP, section Algues bleu-vert
Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de la Montérégie
Fédération Québécoise des Municipalités (FQM)
Organismes environnementaux
OBV : Organisme du bassin de la Yamaska
ACBVLB – Association de conservation du bassin versant du lac Bromont
CSBVLD – Comité de sauvegarde du bassin versant du lac Davignon
ABVLW – Amis du bassin versant du lac Waterloo
COGESAF : Comité de gestion du bassin versant de la Rivière Saint Francois
ROBVQ : Regroupement des Organisations de Bassin Versant du Québec
Greenpeace
Entreprises locales
Renaissance Lac Brome lake
Post office box 2001, 756 chemin Lakeside
FOSTER (Qc) J0E 1R0
(450) 242-2784
info@renaissancelbl.com
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