Main Breakwater Repair at Rivière-au-Renard Harbour

The fishing harbour of Rivière-au-Renard, owned by Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Small Craft Harbours Branch (SCH), is located in Gaspé area.

Repair of a section of the main breakwater

Due to the presence of two breaches in the main breakwater structure and significant scouring of the stone structure on the wave-exposed side, major work is required to prevent complete scouring of this section of the breakwater, which would expose the interior of the harbour and civil infrastructure to the strongest storm waves observed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence due to the site's exposure to easterly winds.

The current condition of the breakwater means that it no longer provides adequate protection, and overtopping is observed during strong winds. This situation could pose a danger to harbour users, cause damage to infrastructure and vessels in the harbour, and damage civil infrastructure (roads, bridges, buildings, etc.) in the area. A repair project is required on the section most affected by storms to restore full functionality to the main breakwater. This requires reviewing the size of the protective elements (dolos) to cope with more powerful waves due to climate change and rising sea levels.

Extension of the stone protection of Wharf 401

There is also a problem with scouring of the foundation of Wharf 401 on the main North wharf. The perforation of a small section of sheet pile, which was not plated during the wharf extension work in the early 2000s due to the presence of dolos, must be corrected to protect the wharf embankment from wave action, which can erode material in the wharf. To provide long-term protection for this section of Wharf 401, the stone protection will be extended with dolos, and a low wall of prefabricated concrete blocks will be placed against Wharf 401 to block wave action and retain the wharf material.

The project includes the completion of the following works : 

 

  • Construction of a temporary access path to allow for work and land access to the main breakwater
  • Repair of the main breakwater by installing stone and dolos within the breakwater existing surface
  • Extension of the stone protection of wharf 401 by installing pit run, filter stone, and dolos.

 

 

More

Latest update

October 8th, 2025 - Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Small Craft Harbours (DFO-SCH) and Transport Canada (TC) issued its Notice of Determination and determined that the project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

Participate

Key documents

Key documents
Document number Document title File Date
1 Notice of Determination - Transport Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Small Craft Harbours) PDF (146 KB) October 8, 2025

Contacts

Small Craft Harbours - Quebec Region
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Email: mireille.gingras@dfo-mpo.gc.ca


Disclaimer

This map is for illustrative purposes. The markers represent the approximate locations based on available data. More than one marker may be identified for a given assessment.

  • Location

    • Riviere-au-Renard Harbour (Quebec)

  • Nature of Activity

    • Ports and Harbours

  • Assessment Status

    Completed

  • Start Date

    2025-03-14

  • Proponent

    Fisheries and Oceans Canada -Small Craft Harbours

  • Authorities

    • Fisheries and Oceans Canada
    • Transport Canada

  • Assessment Type

    Project on federal lands

  • Reference Number

    89364

Nearby assessments

...within 200 kilometres
Report a problem on this page
Date modified: