The Know Your Reach project for the Bonnechere River Watershed involves the piloting of an on-line communication and resource tool for individuals and groups involved in education and planning. It is designed to engage and sustain community volunteers interested in science, stewardship, monitoring and decision-making that relates to the environment.

The environmental health of the watershed is a reflection of its current and past social and economic activities. Opportunities to describe and discuss this will be available with the on-line tool. Also available will be resource materials such as accessing high quality digital maps.

The general goal is to engage people living throughout the entire watershed in a variety of environmental topics such as:

The watershed will be organized into sections that feed into various parts of the Bonnechere River. The boundaries of these sections, referred to as a REACH. are defined by the chutes and dams along the river. Overall there are 9 REACHES outside the Algonquin Park boundary:

Reach 1 = Ottawa River to the 1st Chute

Reach 2 = 1st Chute to the Renfrew dams

Reach 3 = Renfrew dam to the Douglas dam

Reach 4 = Douglas dam to the 4th Chute

Reach 5 = 4th Chute to the Eganville dam

Reach 6 = Eganville dam to the Golden Lake dam

Reach 7 = Golden Lake dam to the Tramore dam

Reach 8 = Tramore dam to Jack Chute

Reach 9 = Jack Chute to the Algonquin Park boundary

This Reach extends from the First Chute (a 9-m waterfall) approximately 2 km down to the Ottawa River near Castleford. First Chute was the site of a historic grist mill and sawmill, remnants of which can still be seen today.

There are many large farming operations on this reach. The high (leda clay) banks are sparsely vegetated and erode easily. The Bonnechere River empties into the Ottawa River through a Provincially Significant Wetland (PSW) which provides diverse habitat for fish and wildlife. Approximately 25 percent of this reach is influenced by water level fluctuations in the Ottawa River.

Information needs from page 81 Bonnechere River  Water Management Plan

This reach is created by a natural constriction in the Bonnechere River at the  First Chute.

The Renfrew sewage treatment plant returns treated water to the river at the upper end of this reach. The water flow requirements of this sewage treatment plant impact the waterpower production potential of the two Renfrew generating stations. Discussions between Renfrew Power Generation (RPG) and the Town of Renfrew may result in a minimum flow agreement that will meet the sewage treatment needs of the community.

Information needs from page 81 Bonnechere River  Water Management Plan

From the Douglas Dam the river drops gradually along the limestone substrate. Leda clays are common in sections of this reach. Here the banks become steeper and the river meanders through small patches of private forest and pastures.  Beef and dairy farming are common on this reach. Livestock have access to the river and its tributaries in some places. Small wetlands, tributary creeks and the river itself are used for fishing, hunting and trapping.

Water is pumped from the river, provided to 10,000 residents in and around the Town of Renfrew, and returned to the river just downstream of the Renfrew power

stations through the sewage treatment plant.

The river drops a total of 19.5 m as it passes through the two generating stations at Renfrew (Renfrew #1 installed capacity 1000 kW, Renfrew #2 installed capacity 1000 kW). There is a historic suspension pedestrian bridge, originally constructed in the early 1800s, across the river between the two power stations.  The two dams and generating stations at Renfrew have been operated historically based on the electrical demands of the community. The new operating regime is based on past operations and attempts to provide more consistent flows to the downstream reaches.

Information needs from page 81 Bonnechere River  Water Management Plan

A major priority for the BRWP in 2008 will be to develop a Watershed Management Plan. This will draw together information on the current state of the watershed and set targets and priorities for BRWP projects.