The name "North Yamaska River" dates from December 5, 1968 ; it used to be known as rivière de Granby and rivière de Waterloo. "Yamaska" can come from Abenaki language and means "there are rushes in the water" or "there is much hay"; these names are a reference to the humid lands of Lavallière bay, where the river's mouth is and the vegetation is abundant. Another possible origin would be Algonquin language "hia muskeg" means "savanna river" or "muddy water river". This tributary arrives from a northern direction when it merges into the Yamaska river.
Geography
Hydrography
The drainage basin of this river covers 303 km2 and its average mass flow rate is of 0.59 m³/s, its mass flux increases and diminishes according to seasons. The North Yamaska river's source comes from Waterloo lake , located south of the village of Waterloo; its course forms an arc that goes around mont Shefford on the north side.
River's Course
Superior course of the river (segment of 17 km)
From lake Waterloo, the North Yamaska river flows:
5,4 km north, gathering the western waters from lac Enchanté and lac des Sources until the village of Warden;
A multitude of creatures and plants of diverse shapes and sizes live within or depend on the North Yamaska river, these vary greatly from one season to the other. Because of its natural richness, the exploitation of this watercourse is common under commercial and recreational forms, in fact, its slow debit, the presence of many species of fish, and the strategic locations of artificial lakes and a national park make it one of the most popular rivers for fishing and tourism in the Eastern Townships; the presence of pollution in the water, mainly because of the use of pesticides and other agricultural runoffs ending in the drainage basin of the Yamaska is problematic for the native species and for citizens who wish to enjoy the nature of the river. To counter the disappearance of species that do not tolerate pollution, the government of Quebec sometimes adds selected fish to the river. Vegetation surrounding the North Yamaska is mixed, in parts there are trees, marsh plants in others; during winter, a majority of vegetation lays dormant, with the exception of coniferous species. Winter has the number of species reduced, although easier to observe since trees are bared. In the spring, hibernating species reappear and migratory birds return; they remain until fall and are very active around the river.
Inventories of birds living in Quebec are conducted by ÉPOQ ; the North Yamaska river being very important for birds because of the vast swamps surrounding Boivin lake and the Yamaska National Park, an interest is given to it and allows for a good source of data based on the observations of the COOHY. A myriad of species reside there year-round, though a large part migrates southwards in the autumn, only to return in the spring. The presence of the watercourse means that many aquatic species thrive there; among these, some of the most impressive and common are the great blue heron, the double-crested cormorant, and the Canada goose. Water often means insects will gather in large amounts, many birds live by the waterside for its abundance of food.
Mammals
, beaver, and muskrat are the three main mammals to inhabit the waters of the North Yamaska river, but most land species find themselves drinking from it or hunting amphibians or reptile eggs on the banks; among the most common are the striped skunk, raccoon, and white-tailed deer.
Conservation
For many years, citizens of the municipalities that compose the drainage basin of the Yamaska river aim to reduce the negative impact that humans have on nature that depends on it. One can notice a multiplication of community art projects, events and distribution of information on the subject as well as an invitation for people to adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle, a sense of responsibility, and a general appreciation of nature.
Efforts in Granby
Granby is one of the municipalities that leads direct actions towards the river's health; through public consultations and expert studies regarding the future of lac Boivin, the city also promotes murals with environmental messages on public walls and municipal buildings, forming partnerships with non-profit organizations and cause-sensitive citizens.
Art-Yamaska
Urgence Yamaska
Through a visionary project, Atelier 19 art et créativité conducted a series of workshops on the subject of mural arts and mosaic during which volunteer citizens created two mural artworks on panels, which were hung on the pumping station A-B-C; the placing is appropriate for the station pumps water from the North Yamaska river for drinking water in the town, its proximity to the river, and lake Boivin increase its impact. Urgence Yamaska represents a call to help by the river and its inhabitants; La Yamaska, c'est nous, is a series of nine panels filled with informative messages on the subject of the river's water and the life that inhabits it. Both artworks were officially presented May 11, 2013 during the annual celebration of the river. The message brought by these murals come from a collective reflection on the subject of the river's health. It is easy to spot the murals from the cycling paths that go around lac Boivin.
Qu'es-tu devenu Yamaska?
Two years later, the sequel to the Art-Yamaska project happened under Patrick-Hackett bridge, located a bit lower on the North Yamaska, in downtown Granby; this time youth citizens partake in a series of eight workshops given at Centre culturel France-Arbour at Atelier 19, these were on the subject of graffiti art and aimed at the development of a mural with a themed message: environment and habits that are respectful of nature. The bridge's underside is often vandalized, a portion of the illegal art has been kept, while the top and sides were transformed into a unique representation of the Yamaska river. The official title of the mural "Qu'es-tu devenu, Yamaska?" is hand-painted with a style reminiscing graffiti; it was created by over thirty volunteers of all age groups; the concept of the message comes from a group of youth from the region that have environment at heart.
