Chronique ZIP, vol. The Des Seigneuries ZIP Committee is committed to making this part of the St. Lawrence better known and to promoting a public examination of how this region can be best protected, restored and developed. Based on public consultations carried out in December, priorities for action in the area have already been set. It attracted over one hundred participants, who participated in defining priorities for protecting, restoring and developing this section of the St. Lawrence. Specialists reported that water pollution in the region was on the way down, due to clean-up measures undertaken by a number of industrial plants and municipalities both upstream from and inside the region in question.
Urban wastewater is still the source of significant bacteriological contamination, however.
Luc Robillard One of the distinguishing characteristics of this part of the St. Lawrence is the presence of over 70 long, low-lying islands, between which meander shallow channels. These islands contain highly diverse wildlife habitats and are home to a large number of plant and animal species of interest, including many species of ducks. The shallow waters around the islands are also used by many fish species for spawning and fry rearing. The islands, with their surrounding beds of aquatic vegetation, are fragile ecosystems. They constitute the main natural ecosystems of concern in the section.