If the American eel (Anguilla rostrata), the tasty shad (Alosa sapidissima), the eastern sand darter (Ammocrypta pellucida), the Channel Darter (Percina copelandi), the lake sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) and the river redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum) are notable cases of species in the watershed whose situation is worrying, it is the copper redhorse (Moxostoma hubbsi) which is particularly noteworthy. The only fish endemic to Quebec, its distribution area is small and the Richelieu River is the only place where there are active spawning grounds. Its limited diet (molluscs) and its late sexual maturity (10 years old) are factors that increase its vulnerability to the overall degradation of its habitat.

The vulnerability of the copper redhorse and its endemic nature to a restricted geographic extension area make it an excellent indicator of the overall health of the aquatic ecosystems that make up the Richelieu River and St. Lawrence watershed. Unfortunately, the recovery strategy for the copper redhorse seems helpless against the weak regulatory control of pollution, which is vital for the success of the program (DFO, 2012 ).

It is in this context that the OIDN intends to mobilize a coalition of environmental groups in support of a formal notice to the Government of Quebec under section 8. of the Act to affirm the collective nature of water resources and to promote better governance of water and associated environments, so as to help mitigate the risks associated with the aforementioned issues.