Percé - Malbaie River property
Malbaie River property, QC (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has conserved 412 hectares along the banks and in the watershed of the Malbaie River, between the towns of Gaspé and Percé. Due to its close proximity to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, this area boasts a rich biodiversity of species on its land and in its waters.
The riverfront conservation lands protect important habitat for Atlantic salmon — a species of special concern. The property is blanketed with stands of mixed forest in which many species of mammals and birds live.
Ecological value
The source of the Malbaie River can be found in the large forests in the heart of the Gaspé Peninsula. The water that flows from there crosses sinuous meanders bordered by fragile riparian ecosystems. Eastern white cedars, more than 70 years old, overlook the banks of the river and provide beneficial shade to the stream. The Malbaie River flows into the barachois de Malbaie.
These protected lands help maintain ecologically important aquatic and riparian habitats on the Malbaie River and its tributaries. The rocky bottoms and cool waters of this network of rivers provide vital habitats for several aquatic species, including Atlantic salmon, American eel and brook trout. By protecting the riverbank areas of the Malbaie River, NCC is helping conserve many important salmon pools.
Several species of duck, such as the Barrow's goldeneye, wood duck and common merganser, and birds of prey, such as bald eagle and northern harrier, also benefit from this quality natural environment.
A natural partnership
Blue flag iris (Photo by Mike Dembeck)
NCC and our partners have worked for 20 years to conserve the most precious natural environments that characterize the southern Gaspé Peninsula and Magdalen Islands. To date, nearly 800 hectares have been conserved through this partnership.
Acknowledgements
This conservation project was made possible through the generous funding support of the Government of Canada, through the Natural Areas Conservation Program; TD Forests; The Fondation de la faune du Québec; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and other donors and supporters.
