Water Management Plan for the Montreal River

A water management plan (WMP) has been prepared for the Montreal River. There are four generating stations and five control dams on the Montreal River system, operated by Ontario Power Generation (OPG), the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and TransAlta.

The Montreal River travels approximately 282 km from its headwaters in the Shining Tree area west of Gowganda, to its confluence with Lake Timiskaming, covering a drainage basin of 7,122 km². Small sized urban centres and Indigenous communities depend on the Montreal River system for municipal as well as industrial uses. The Montreal River system provides prime outdoor recreational opportunities to the residents and visitors in Northeastern Ontario. The watershed is home to a variety of fish and wildlife species, and the resource-based tourism industry within the Montreal River watershed relies heavily on the waters to provide fishing, hunting and recreational opportunities for their clients.

Final Water Management Plan

The WMP was developed by a steering committee and planning team having representation from OPG, MNRF, Canadian Hydro Developers, PSPC, Matachewan First Nation, Teme-Augama Anishnabai, Temagami First Nation, Mattagami First Nation, Wabun Tribal Council, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Municipality of Latchford. Timiskaming Lake First Nation, Wolf Lake First Nation and Métis Nation of Ontario were also invited to participate in the planning process. A Public Advisory Committee was established to provide advice on the development of the WMP and to assist with public consultation. The WMP was prepared in accordance with MNRF’s 2002 Water Management Planning Guidelines for Waterpower and the 2016 Maintaining Water Management Plans technical bulletin.

The water management planning process resulted in a number of specific operational changes to be implemented and monitored for their effectiveness in balancing the needs of stakeholders.  Public and Indigenous community consultation identified issues and concerns in relation to the management of water levels and flows of several water control structures.  Where there was enough information to make informed decisions on potential options for level and/or flow control, these were evaluated for their ability to balance the needs of all river users. Based on the results of the evaluation, preferred options were chosen for implementation. In situations where there was not enough information for decision-making, data gap studies were included.

In finalizing the plan, minor administrative updates were made to:

• align text with the 2016 Maintaining Water Management Plans technical bulletin
• incorporate modifications made to Hound Chute Generating Station due to erosion control and a weir installment in 2010; Ragged Chute Generating Station for a weir replacement in 2011; and Latchford Dam when minor changes were made in 2014 to resolve the Town of Latchford’s water intake concerns, followed by the replacement of the dam in 2016
• reflect that the operation of the Latchford Dam, which is owned and operated by Public Services and Procurement Canada (Federal Government), is not bound by the requirements of the provincial Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act
• include Indigenous communities consulted in 2020-2022; and update dated legislation and policy references