Forest cutting in Chertsey | Local residents on the lookout

“It’s our home and it’s dangerous,” says Lake Monahan resident

Citizens of Chertsey, in Lanaudière, are concerned about the risk of flooding following logging operations planned for the coming years. They denounce the lack of studies by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests (MRNF) on the effects of tree felling on their body of water.

“We want to prevent them from doing something stupid in terms of public safety,” says Arthur Sandborn, president of the Association of Owners of Domaine des Chutes (APDC), which brings together around forty residents near Lake Monahan, in Chertsey.

In the spring, Quebec announced that it would authorize forestry companies to cut down more than 150 hectares of woodland in the Ouareau forest, in the Matawinie MRC. The forest is home to a 150 km regional park^⁠2 and has over 100 km of trails. It is close to many lakes and streams. The felling would take place upstream from Lake Monahan.

The MRNF has not studied the effects on waterways of the logging in the Ouareau forest, complain the residents of Lake Monahan. They were told that the logging would take place in two to five years. They fear that, without the trees, their homes would be flooded.

“It’s really a stupid decision,” said Sara Mayrand, who lives near the lake.

“There will be a flow […] which will certainly increase [si les coupes ont lieu] “, believes Céline Picard, a retired biologist who now lives permanently near the lake.

Lake Monahan is located downstream from part of the wooded area affected by the cuts. Streams that come from the wooded area supply the lake and flow onto the land of some residents. On the land of M^me Picard, the effects of water are visible: the roots of a conifer are exposed because of erosion.

“It would be normal for the flow of water to increase,” confirms Yves Prairie, professor of biology at UQAM. He explains that in Quebec, trees contribute to absorbing 30% of precipitation, with the water evaporating through their leaves.

Mr. Prairie also says logging can increase erosion from waterways. While he doesn’t know the situation at Lake Monahan, he says it’s “unlikely” that a lake would overflow due to logging.

“There are roads, culverts, dikes and houses everywhere, it’s going to destroy them!” Mr. Sandbord worries. Citizens fear that the cumulative effect of climate change and logging will eventually cause their dam to give way. According to them, this would flood several sectors of Chertsey.

“It’s our home and it’s dangerous, it doesn’t make sense,” continues Céline Picard, who mentions having her children baptized with water from the forest, while looking at the stream in front of which she had a small bench built. She has had a residence on Lake Monahan for 29 years.

Aggravated by climate change

Currently, a dam regulates the amount of water in the lake. Every morning, Lake Monahan residents monitor the level and adjust their dam. Residents say the situation is currently “manageable,” despite climate change making it more difficult.

According to André Ratelle, who has lived near the lake for more than 30 years, water flows on his land, once rare, are now commonplace. “I’ve been here since 1993. […] “It’s crazy, it’s abnormal that it’s flowing so much,” he said.

The town of Chertsey suffered flooding in late June. Several lakes rose rapidly, causing millions in damage to the town’s roads. The residents’ dike was “two inches” from overflowing, according to Sandborn. He points out with concern how full the culvert was after the torrential rains.

The mayor behind her fellow citizens

Although she is not opposed to logging, which provides a livelihood for many households in the region, Chertsey Mayor Michelle Joly is asking that studies be conducted on the consequences of such a project. “We would like studies to be done upstream, before planning the logging,” she said in an interview with The Press.

A resolution adopted by the city council on July 15 calls on the Quebec government to conduct a “detailed study” on the environmental effects and the impacts of the cuts on infrastructure. The resolution calls for the project to be “suspended” if there is no analysis.

Contacted by The Pressthe Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests indicated by email that it had “begun discussions with the APDC to allow it to explain its concerns in detail.”

“The MRNF recognizes the importance of the role that watersheds play for lakes and wetlands,” adds the Ministry, saying it takes into account a regulation that “contains methods to mitigate the risks of erosion.”

A round table is planned for the coming months in order to “harmonize” the project between the various forest stakeholders. M^me Joly hopes this will have an impact on the construction site. “I really hope so,” says the mayor.