Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As mentioned, I am Jeff Ridal, the executive director of the St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences, or the River Institute. We're based in Cornwall, Ontario.
Thank you for providing me the opportunity to address the standing committee on the topic of the impact of commercial shipping on shoreline erosion in the river.
I would like to begin by respectfully acknowledging that the River Institute is located on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee. We offer our gratitude to the Mohawks of Akwesasne for their care for, and teachings about, our earth and our relations.
The River Institute is a non-governmental organization incorporated in 1994 to address environmental concerns on the St. Lawrence River, with a special emphasis on the upper section of the river from Kingston at the outflow of Lake Ontario to Lake St. Francis, a lake-like section of the river located between the Moses-Saunders dam at Cornwall, to just below Montreal.
In 2022 the River Institute and its partners embarked on a two-year DFO-funded study to investigate the ecological impacts of waves and shoreline erosion on nearshore habitats in the upper St. Lawrence River, or the “international section”, and I think you'll also hear it being referred to that way.
This project arose from efforts by volunteers and representatives of the Great River Network, an environmental hub made up of more than 50 river-focused organizations that raised concerns about noticeable shoreline erosion and the possible degradation of downstream aquatic habitat in the areas where large waves are generated by ships transiting the seaway.
A 2010 St. Lawrence action plan report estimated that approximately 25% of the 1,600 kilometres of shoreline from Cornwall to just below Quebec City is affected by shoreline erosion. The section immediately upstream of Cornwall, to Brockville, Ontario, has similar clay-based soils and is subject to seasonal water fluctuations of up to two metres and is therefore also prone to shoreline erosion.
To address these concerns, the Great River Network, in consultation with the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, proposed voluntary speed reduction zones for commercial vessels to protect areas along the international section of the river, those sections with heightened vulnerability for erosion due to soil conditions and other environmental factors. These zones are about three- to eight-kilometre stretches of the river located near Cornwall, Morrisburg and Brockville.
To reinforce and underpin the speed reduction zone measures, wave engineering data and ecological assessments are needed to characterize the causes and impacts of shoreline erosion in those sections of the river, and to form a basis for future shoreline stabilization work. The Great River Network and the River Institute partnered with researchers from the University of Ottawa, South Nation Conservation and the Raisin Region Conservation Authority to develop a research study that addresses this topic. I should say that the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne supported the project and is assisting in its implementation.
The project aims to determine the impacts of large ship waves on shoreline erosion and potential loss of aquatic habitat, focusing on sites in the western Lake St. Francis region of the St. Lawrence River along the Mohawk territory of Akwesasne and also on the upstream sites near Morrisburg, Ontario. These sites are impacted by shoreline erosion and are located within the voluntary speed reduction zones developed by the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.
The University of Ottawa team is monitoring waves impacting the study sites from wind, ship and pleasure boats, as well as other environmental factors, to differentiate the forces contributing to bank erosion. Dr. Rennie, who is also presenting to the committee today, will provide details on the technical aspects of this work.
Our River Institute team is applying its ecological expertise and extensive database on St. Lawrence River nearshore fish communities to assess whether shoreline erosion is having detrimental impacts on downstream fish communities, species abundance, diversity and habitat quality. Aerial drone technology is being used to provide high-resolution maps of habitat features such as macrophyte beds that are important for fish habitat, as well as for anchoring sediments.
This project constitutes a unique collaboration partnership including academia, environmental NGOs, native communities, conservation authorities, industry and community volunteers to generate innovative science in a format that responds to a relatable and pressing problem.
It is our expectation that the project's results will be relevant and scalable to other areas of the river that are impacted by shoreline erosion and will provide tangible results for the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.
It will also support the development of a St. Lawrence River shoreline management plan proposed by the local conservation authorities to stabilize the impacted shorelines and restore aquatic habitat using native plants and vegetation.
Thank you.