Impacts cumulatifs du développement hydro-électrique sur le bilan d'eau douce de la baie d'Hudson

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering
• Main Authors: Anctil, François, Couture, Richard
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1994
• Subjects: General Environmental Science; Civil and Structural Engineering; Hudson Bay; Hudson; Baleine; Hudson Strait; Baie d'Hudson; Baie-d'Hudson; Foxe Basin; Labrador Sea; James Bay
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/l94-031; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/l94-031

This paper discusses the consequences on the marine environment, more specifically on the fresh water balance, of the hydroelectric development of several tributaries of Hudson Bay, including James Bay and Foxe Basin. The fresh water balance is determined by identifying, at different scales, the modifications caused by each complex. The main inputs are the freezing and thawing of the ice cover, runoff water, and mass exchange at the air–water interface. Three spatial scales were used to obtain the resolution required to document the cumulative effects of fresh water balance modifications on the water surface layer: the Hudson Bay, the Hudson Strait, and the Labrador Sea. Finally, the addition of the proposed Grande-Baleine hydroelectric complex is examined from the available information and forecasts. Key words: hydroelectric development, impact, marine environment, fresh water balance, ice cover, runoff water, mass exchange.[Journal translation]