Quebec River Research Articles

Trend detection in the temperature of Quebec (Canada) rivers

ABSTRACT Trend detection in environmental data subjected to natural fluctuations can prove difficult. With river temperature, the difficulty also lies in the typically limited lengths of the time series. In this work, three different river temperature data sources (continuous and spot instream measurements, and satellite thermal images) were combined to build 30- to 44-year-long time series at 116 locations, distributed throughout most of the Quebec Province territory. Mann-Kendall tests and a non-linear model were used to detect and quantify trends. Uncertainty and biases due to the different data sources and uneven samplings were evaluated and included in the assessment of the trends’ quantification and reliability. Overall, most trends detected in the temperature of Quebec rivers are positive, with higher warming occurring in summer. Annual maxima are found to have increased by 0.023°C/year (median value) between 1979 and 2022, and this maximum appears to occur 2.6 days (median value) later.

Riverine exports of mercury and methylmercury from dammed and undammed rivers of Quebec, Eastern Canada

Coastal rivers represent an important flux of mercury (Hg) to marine systems, but large uncertainties remain due to a lack of field data in key regions of the northern hemisphere. Given the increasing number of dams built on rivers globally and their influence on the Hg cycle, damming may affect broad-scale Hg budgets, but empirical studies on the contribution of dammed vs undammed rivers on fluxes at broad spatial extents remain scarce. Here we have compiled measurements of the concentrations, fluxes and yields of Hg, methylmercury (MeHg), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and quality at the mouth of 9 dammed and 21 undammed coastal rivers across Quebec, Eastern Canada. Total and methyl Hg concentrations were typically lower for dammed vs. undammed rivers (mean Hg of 1.40 vs. 2.79 ng L−1; mean MeHg of 0.10 vs. 0.13 ng L−1). The yields displayed the same pattern (mean Hg of 0.82 vs. 1.50 g km−2 year−1; mean MeHg of 0.05 vs. 0.07 g km−2 year−1) although dammed river fluxes were typically higher (mean Hg of 25.66 vs. 15.02 kg year−1; mean MeHg of 1.25 vs. 0.48 kg year−1) because of higher discharge. DOC fluxes were good predictors of Hg fluxes and could be used as proxies. We extrapolated these fluxes to the entire province of Quebec and provide a first order estimate of annual Hg flux of 454 ± 72 kg from dammed and of 1879 ± 240 kg from undammed rivers, compared to 33 ± 5 kg and 89 ± 11 kg of MeHg, respectively. These findings are in the lower range of current estimates for other northern regions and suggest that dammed rivers export mercury in amounts that are roughly proportional to river discharge.

Identification of Thermal Refuges and Water Temperature Patterns in Salmonid-Bearing Subarctic Rivers of Northern Quebec

In summer, salmonids can experience thermal stress during extreme weather conditions. This may affect their growth and even threaten their survival. Cool water zones in rivers constitute thermal refuges, allowing fish to be more comfortable to grow and survive in extreme events. Therefore, identifying and understanding the spatiotemporal variability of discrete thermal refuges and larger scale cooling zones in rivers is of fundamental interest. This study analyzes thermal refuges as well as cooling zones in two salmonid rivers in a subarctic climate by use of thermal infrared (TIR) imagery. The two studied rivers are the Koroc and Berard Rivers, in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada. On the 17 km studied section of the Berard River, four thermal refuges and five cooling zones were detected, covering 46% of the surveyed section of the river. On the 41 km section studied for the Koroc River, 67 thermal refuges and five cooling zones were identified which represent 32% of the studied section of the river. 89% of identified thermal refuges and about 60% of cooling zones are groundwater-controlled. Continuity of permafrost and shape of the river valley were found to be the main parameters controlling the distribution of refuges and cooling zones. These data provide important insights into planning and conservation measures for the salmonid population of subarctic Nunavik rivers.

The use of wetted perimeter as habitat proxy to assess environmental flows in Southern Quebec rivers (Canada)

Environmental flows assessment in eastern Canada, and particularly in the province of Quebec, is mainly based on hydrological assessment of historical data during low flow periods. The mean 7-day low flow with return periods of two (7Q2) and ten years (7Q10) are two flow metrics currently used by the Quebec Department of Environment and Fight against Climate Change to prescribe minimum flow and/or maximum water abstraction while maintaining the functions and health of riverine ecosystems. This study investigated the use of the wetted perimeter as an additional environmental flows assessment method. This tool can be used by water managers to maintain the availability of river habitats during low flow periods. Twenty flow metrics were computed for inter-annual, summer and winter periods, for 43 sites from 35 rivers, and analysed to study the changes in wetted perimeter with flow. In addition, the flow associated with maximum curvature (breakpoint) of the flow-wetted perimeter function (QMC) was analyzed. Results provided a better understanding of local changes of river hydraulics and possible aquatic habitat availability associated with different flow metrics. The relevance of using a wetted perimeter threshold (WPSQMC) combined with flow thresholds (Tennant method) was also discussed. The two “fair” Tennant flow thresholds, apart from the twenty flow metrics, would provide sufficient available habitat all year long with corresponding WPSQMC thresholds of 88% and 95% of the 43 river sites. The median discharge for August flow metric for summer and the median discharge for the month with the lowest flow metric value for winter (usually February), provided the highest wetted perimeter in relative terms (72% and 79% respectively of the river sites) compared to the WPSQMC threshold. Using the 7Q2 flow metric would mean maintaining sufficient available habitat for 50%, 60% and 72% of the river sites for respectively inter-annual, summer and winter periods. Considering the single WPSQMC threshold, its associated flow provided the highest values for 16% of the river sites and the second highest one for 9% of the river sites with a single seasonal flow metric value high enough for summer or winter. This study showed that the wetted perimeter is a tool providing additional information on both river morphology and changes in potential aquatic habitat as a function of flow for river sites with small catchment size and low mean annual flow values. Indeed, the wetted perimeter can be very useful in the overall assessment of environmental flows.

Neidium petersiveri sp. nov. (Bacillariophyceae) — description of a new diatom species with emphasis on variability of frustule morphology in a population from Lake Superior

Light and scanning electron microscopy were used to describe Neidium petersiveri sp. nov., a previously unnamed diatom found in the Canadian waters of Lake Superior. It had been reported previously as single cells of an unidentified Neidium species from four widely separated regions in North America: Michipicoten Island (Lake Superior, Ontario, Canada), Cape Cod (Massachusetts, United States), a Quebec river (Quebec, Canada), and the Back River (Nunavut, Canada). There are superficial resemblances to Neidium mirum Krasske and Neidium calvum Østrup, but there are significant differences in frustule size and shape as well as the pattern of striae on the valve face that render N. petersiveri unique. There was not a significant correlation between frustule lengths and widths in N. petersiveri, owing to a relatively small range within the width data that resulted in much higher width-to-length ratios among shorter cells than for longer cells (74 cells measured). Other significant aspects of morphologic variation include various shapes and configurations of the lacinial fissures and of the proximal raphe fissures, and the sporadic occurrence of pit-like depressions in the axial and central regions of the valves, which suggest that variations in these characters likely have limited value as discriminating characters at the species or subspecies levels.

Myxozoan Communities in Two Cyprinid Fishes from Mesotrophic and Eutrophic Rivers.

Few studies have examined community structure among myxozoan species in fish. Herein myxozoan communities are described from 2 cyprinid species, the spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius) and the common shiner (Luxilus cornutus), from mesotrophic and eutrophic localities in rivers in southwestern Quebec, Canada. Four myxozoan species were found, and total prevalence ranged from 60 to 86.7% in spottail shiners at 4 localities along the Richelieu River. Component species richness ranged from 2 to 4 and mean infracommunity richness from 0.87 to 1.47. Prevalence, component species richness, and infracommunity species richness in the spottail shiner were comparable to those from other localities in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River that were exposed to municipal effluents. Nine myxozoan species were found in common shiners from the Bras d'Henri micro-watershed. Component species richness varied from 6 to 8 at 4 localities, with total prevalence being 100% at all localities except 1, where it was 80%. Mean infracommunity richness ranged from 1.73 to 2.27. Prevalence, component species richness, and infracommunity species richness in the common shiner from the Bras d'Henri micro-watershed were among the highest observed for myxozoan communities from any host species to date. It is concluded that moderate levels of eutrophication are sufficient to generate species-rich communities of myxozoan parasites in fishes.

Southern Quebec environmental flow assessments: spatial and temporal scales sensitivity

Faced with increasing demands for water withdrawals and a changing climate, the Quebec Department of Environment and Fight Against Climate Change is reviewing its water withdrawal guidelines to protect riverine ecosystems. For Southern Quebec, guidelines currently limit water withdrawals to a maximum of 15% of the 7Q2 (mean 7-day low flow with a return period of two years) during low flow periods. In this context, one of the issues raised is to investigate measures that help to preserve riverine ecosystems during low flow periods by establishing cut-off flow restrictions. This study compared eight low flow metrics to investigate which can be considered useful metrics to assess environmental flow in Southern Quebec rivers. Using 98 hydrometrics stations with a minimum of 20 years of daily flow data from eight hydrological regions, those low flow metrics were compared to three thresholds based on Tennant Method for monthly and annual temporal scales. The relevance of current hydrological regions delineation was investigated by looking at results within these regions, compared to six groups of stations defined using multivariate analyses. This study emphasizes that assessing environmental flows is linked to the hydrological context of the area of interest, the temporal scale of the historical data available, and the catchment size. The results showed that (1) winter low flows were lower than summer low flows; (2) 23% to 26% of the values were under the conservative thresholds for all the metrics depending of the time scale; and (3) the 7Q2, 7Q10 (mean 7-day low flow with a return period of ten years), Q95 and Q90 (95th and 90th percentile on the flow duration curve) are the less conservative for rivers having a low regime flow. To conclude, assessing several regionally adapted environmental flow metrics is recommended rather than systematically using the 7Q2 for Southern Quebec.

Three‐dimensional turbulent structures at a medium‐sized confluence with and without an ice cover

AbstractRiver confluences are characterized by a complex mixing zone with three‐dimensional (3D) turbulent structures which have been described as both streamwise‐oriented structures and Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) vertical‐oriented structures. The latter are visible where there is a turbidity difference between the two tributaries, whereas the former are usually derived from mean velocity measurements or numerical simulations. Few field studies recorded turbulent velocity fluctuations at high frequency to investigate these structures, particularly at medium‐sized confluences where logistical constraints make it difficult to use devices such as acoustic doppler velocimeter (ADV). This study uses the ice cover present at the confluence of the Mitis and Neigette Rivers in Quebec (Canada) to obtain long‐duration, fixed measurements along the mixing zone. The confluence is also characterized by a marked turbidity difference which allows to investigate the mixing zone dynamics from drone imagery during ice‐free conditions. The aim of the study is to characterize and compare the flow structure in the mixing zone at a medium‐sized (~40 m) river confluence with and without an ice cover. Detailed 3D turbulent velocity measurements were taken under the ice along the mixing plane with an ADV through eight holes at around 20 positions on the vertical. For ice‐free conditions, drone imagery results indicate that large (KH) coherent structures are present, occupying up to 50% of the width of the parent channel. During winter, the ice cover affects velocity profiles by moving the highest velocities towards the centre of the profiles. Large turbulent structures are visible in both the streamwise and lateral velocity components. The strong correlation between these velocity components indicates that KH vortices are the dominating coherent structures in the mixing zone. A spatio‐temporal conceptual model is presented to illustrate the main differences on the 3D flow structure at the river confluence with and without the ice cover. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Understanding summertime thermal refuge use by adult Atlantic salmon using remote sensing, river temperature monitoring, and acoustic telemetry

Adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) return to natal rivers several months before spawning and during summer can be subjected to temperatures that exceed their upper temperature tolerance limits. Salmon use thermal refuges to minimize exposure to high temperatures, but little information exists regarding behavioral thermoregulation by adult Atlantic salmon. We examined behavioral thermoregulation by Atlantic salmon during summer in-river residence in a Quebec river with a novel combination of thermal infrared remote sensing, river temperature monitoring, and acoustic telemetry. Adults engaged in behavioural thermoregulation at cooler ambient river temperatures (17–19 °C) than previously recorded for this species and maintained body temperature within a narrow range (16–20 °C) via use of cool and warm refuges. Adults used large, stable, stratified pools as refuges, allowing multiple individuals to thermoregulate simultaneously without leaving the pool. Low river discharge and high temperatures can be physical barriers to salmon migration, preventing them from accessing suitable refuges (e.g., pools). Identifying and maintaining connectivity to thermal refuges may be critical for persistence of Atlantic salmon populations as climate changes and rivers warm.

Assessing the potential impacts of dam operation on daily flow at ungauged river reaches

Study RegionThe study region is the Southern Quebec river network. Dataset on dams as well as daily flow recorded at stations were used. Study FocusDam construction and operation can have significant impacts on hydrological regimes. If dam construction induces some basic alterations to basin hydrology, dam operation can introduce dynamic alterations in streamflow. Assessing the impacts of dam operation can be crucial for many applications where recorded flow series are used as a proxy for flow at nearby ungauged basins in regional flood frequency analysis or for hydrological modelling. The potential influence of dam operation on recorded flows was assessed through statistical testing that verified the unimodality of the daily flow distribution. The Degree of Regulation (DOR) index was then used to relate the potential influences of dam operation to basic physiographic and dam characteristics. New Hydrological Insights for the RegionApplication of a unimodality test to daily flow series recorded at stations located in the study region confirms that dam operation can result in non-unimodal daily flow distribution. Estimation of DOR values for all reaches of the study region shows that regulated river reaches could be potentially influenced by dam operation when DOR > 8. Of the 29% regulated river reaches (i.e. with one or more upstream dams), approximately 30% could be potentially influenced (DOR > 8) by dam operation.

Weathering processes, catchment geology and river management impacts on radiogenic (87Sr/86Sr) and stable (δ88/86Sr) strontium isotope compositions of Canadian boreal rivers

Radiogenic (87Sr/86Sr) and stable (δ88/86Sr) strontium isotope compositions spanning a calendar year are reported for rivers from across subarctic Canada that drain contrasting lithologies ranging from Precambrian bedrock (Koksoak, Great Whale and La Grande rivers of Northern Quebec) to carbonate and clastic Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks of the Western Interior Platform (Nelson River, of central and western Canada). The 87Sr/86Sr isotopic compositions of the river waters reflect the underlying geology, with rivers draining the Precambrian Shield having higher 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.727–0.734) than the Phanerozoic dominated Nelson River (0.713). The stable strontium isotope values (δ88/86Sr) range from 0.26 to 0.39‰, with the values for the Nelson River overlapping those of the other three. Rivers that have not been developed for hydroelectric power show a seasonal variation in the 87Sr/86Sr ratios, whereas those that have been diverted or dammed show little or no seasonal variation due to increased residence time of their water in hydroelectric reservoirs. The three rivers from Northern Quebec show discrete ranges in their 87Sr/86Sr and δ88/86Sr isotope compositions that correlate with the Ca/Sr and Na/Sr ratios of the river water. These correlations are interpreted to reflect differential chemical weathering of felsic versus mafic source rocks and/or of surficial sediment vs bedrock sources.

Combining streamflow observations and hydrologic simulations for the retrospective estimation of daily streamflow for ungauged rivers in southern Quebec (Canada)

Retrospective estimation of daily streamflow for all rivers within a territory is of practical interest for sustainable and optimal water management. This implies, however, the availability of methods for providing accurate estimations of flow for ungauged rivers. This study compares the potential of statistical interpolation (SI)—a simple data assimilation technique that combines observations and simulations from hydrological modelling—with four other approaches: nearest neighbour, direct use of outputs from hydrological modelling, ordinary and topological kriging. Through subsampling cross-validation analyses based on the modified Kling-Gupta efficiency indicator, we show that SI compares favourably with these other approaches. While the performance of other methods depends on the configuration of the ungauged site in regards to the neighbouring reference sites, SI is less affected by these configurations. SI outperforms the other approaches particularly where the ungauged site is relatively distant from observation sites. In these cases, SI performance depends on the performance of the background model that relies on simulations of hydrological processes forced by precipitation and temperature observations. Our findings offer the potential for heightened performance estimates through an improvement of hydrological modelling and the use of more complex assimilation techniques for exploiting the model.

QPCR detection versus microscopy observations for assessing presence–absence of Didymosphenia geminata in Quebec rivers (Canada)

Microscopic versus qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) analyses were compared for the detection of Didymosphenia geminata in biofilms and water filtrates from seven Gaspésie rivers (Canada). For the qPCR approach, two DNA extraction kits (QIAamp DNA Micro Kit, Qiagen and PowerSoil DNA Isolation Kit, Mo Bio Laboratories) and two pairs of primers were considered. The pair of primers D602F/D753Rext did not amplify D. geminata DNA whereas the pair of primers D602F/D753R was specific for D. geminata. Presence-absence diagnosis based on qPCR and microscopic analyses were consistent: D. geminata was detected in six of the seven rivers, both in the biofilm and filtrate samples. However, technical replications were needed at certain sites to observe the presence of D. geminata cells by microscopy. This underscores the necessity of replicate analyses, which is cost-effective to achieve when using qPCR due to the capacity to process tens of samples in a single PCR run in the context of a large scale assessment.

Comparison of autoregressive moving average and state space methods for monthly time series modelling of Labrador and South-East Quebec river flows

Time series data such as monthly stream flows can be modelled using time series methods and then used to simulate or forecast flows for short term planning. Two methods of time series modelling were reviewed and compared: the well-known auto regressive moving average (ARMA) method and the state-space time-series (SSTS) method. ARMA has been used in hydrology to model and simulate flows with good results and is widely accepted for this purpose. SSTS modelling is a more recently developed method that is relatively unused for hydrologic modelling. This paper focuses on modelling the stream flows from basins of different sizes using these two time series modelling methods and comparing the results. Three rivers in Labrador and South-East Quebec were modelled: the Romaine, Ugjoktok and Alexis Rivers. Both models were compared for accuracy of prediction, ease of software use and simplicity of model to determine the preferred time series methodology approach for modelling these rivers. The SSTS was considered very easy to use but model diagnostics were found to require a high level of statistical understanding. Ultimately, the ARMA method was determined to be the better method for the typical engineer to use, considering the diagnostics were simple and the monthly flows could be easily simulated to verify results.

Hybrid signal detection approach for hydro-meteorological variables combining EMD and cross-wavelet analysis

The aim of this article is to present a methodology that describes the relationship between two time series according to their oscillatory modes. Cross-wavelet analysis is used to analyse the connection between the outputs of the empirical mode decomposition (EMD). The combined EMD and cross-wavelet methodology is used for the description of the connection between the annual mean streamflow of Quebec rivers and the North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAO). The relationship between the two time series is analysed by cross-wavelet analysis at the level of the mode of oscillation extracted from the EMD algorithm. The resulting cross-spectra are obtained individually for 18 stations and show intermittent intensity in these relationships between 1970 and 1990 for different oscillation modes. To highlight its particularity, the present methodology is compared with the results of a similar combination of multiresolution analysis (MRA) and cross-wavelet analysis. It shows that EMD isolates clearer bands of frequencies than MRA. Finally, a multi-site analysis is proposed, which performs a principal component analysis of the cross-spectra. This analysis illustrates the evolution of the relationships according to the geographic location. Finally, the advantages and limitations of the proposed methodology are discussed.

Temporal variability of the magnitude and timing of winter maximum daily flows in southern Quebec (Canada)

Summary The temporal variability of winter climate in southern Quebec is characterized by increasing temperature and rainfall, but decreasing snowfall. The goal of the study was to analyze the impact of these changes on the magnitude and timing of winter maximum daily flows. Hydrologic series for seventeen tributaries of the St. Lawrence River were analyzed over the period from 1934 to 2010. The most noteworthy result, obtained using the Lombard method, was to highlight a nearly generalized shift in mean values of the series in the early 1970s. This shift reflects a significant increase in the magnitude of winter maximum daily flows after that decade, interpreted to result primarily from snowmelt, which is increasingly frequent at the end of winter. The frequency of the dates of occurrence of winter maximum daily flows increased significantly during the last winter decade (ten days) after the 1970s for most rivers in southern Quebec. The copula method did not, however, reveal any significant change in the dependency between the timing and magnitude of winter maximum daily flows over time. Finally, canonical correlation analysis revealed that the magnitude of winter maximum daily flows is positively correlated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), while their dates of occurrence are correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO).

Freedom space for rivers: An economically viable river management concept in a changing climate

The freedom space concept applies hydrogeomorphic principles to delineate zones that are either frequently flooded or actively eroding, or that include riparian wetlands. Freedom space limits mapped for three rivers in southern Quebec (Canada) were assessed to determine whether they would still be valid under a future climate using a sensitivity analysis approach with numerical models predicting mobility of meanders (RVRMeander) and flood stage (HEC-RAS). The freedom space limits were also used in a cost–benefit analysis over a 50-year period where costs consist of loss or limitations to the right of farming and construction in this zone, whereas benefits are avoided costs for existing or future bank stabilization structures and avoided costs of flooding in agricultural areas. The economic value of ecosystem services provided by riparian wetlands and increased buffer zones within the freedom space were also included in the analysis. Results show that freedom space limits would be robust in future climate, and show net present values ranging from CDN$0.7 to $3.7 million for the three rivers, with ratios of benefits over costs ranging between 1.5:1 and 4.8:1. River management based on freedom space is thus beneficial for society over a 50-year period.

Freedom space for rivers: a sustainable management approach to enhance river resilience.

River systems are increasingly under stress and pressure from agriculture and urbanization in riparian zones, resulting in frequent engineering interventions such as bank stabilization or flood protection. This study provides guidelines for a more sustainable approach to river management based on hydrogeomorphology concepts applied to three contrasted rivers in Quebec (Canada). Mobility and flooding spaces are determined for the three rivers, and three levels of "freedom space" are subsequently defined based on the combination of the two spaces. The first level of freedom space includes very frequently flooded and highly mobile zones over the next 50 years, as well as riparian wetlands. It provides the minimum space for both fluvial and ecological functionality of the river system. On average for the three studied sites, this minimum space was approximately 1.7 times the channel width, but this minimum space corresponds to a highly variable width which must be determined from a thorough hydrogeomorphic assessment and cannot be predicted using a representative average. The second level includes space for floods of larger magnitude and provides for meanders to migrate freely over a longer time period. The last level of freedom space represents exceptional flood zones. We propose the freedom space concept to be implemented in current river management legislation because it promotes a sustainable way to manage river systems, and it increases their resilience to climate and land use changes in comparison with traditional river management approaches which are based on frequent and spatially restricted interventions.

Using regional flow classes as references to analyse flow regime anomalies across a set of regulated Canadian rivers

Summary It is well established that a river’s natural flow regime is a key determinant of ecological integrity and that dam regulated-flow releases can be detrimental to biotic communities and even affect river ecosystem structure (e.g. Poff and Zimmerman, 2010). Regional flow classes, groups of rivers that share similar natural flow regimes (called ‘river types’ by Poff and Zimmerman (2010)) and to which regional fish communities are ‘adapted’, have been proposed as units of analysis to identify significant damming related flow alteration (e.g. Poff, 1996; Poff and Zimmerman, 2010; McManamay et al., 2012a). Specifically, the natural range of flow behaviour within regional classes can be used to identify clearly anomalous flow features in rivers regulated by dams. Through ordination analysis on 70 ecologically important flow indices, we isolated five distinctive regional groupings of natural flow regimes among the 96 unregulated rivers located in study regions of South Eastern and South Western Canada, selected based on watershed characteristics as possible references for the 13 hydro-regulated, NSERC-HydroNet study rivers in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. The distinguishing characteristics of natural flow regimes within each flow class are explored through visualization in principal component space. The 16 regulated HydroNet sites were assigned to appropriate regional flow classes through discriminant function analysis based on shared geographic location and watershed characteristics. Anomalous flow features in the regulated rivers are then characterized by type and strength, based on identification of flow indices that are significantly different from observed natural variability in the relevant regional class. The magnitude distributions and the main axes of variability in index anomalies are analysed, across regions and regulation types (storage, peaking and run-of-the-river (RoR)). We also discuss the potential biological implications of the dominant flow anomalies in this set of Canadian rivers regulated by hydro dams.

Determination of salinity gradient power potential in Québec, Canada

Electrical energy can be produced from the chemical potential difference of two liquids with dissimilar salinities. This source of energy is known as salinity gradient power. In this paper, the theory, the technologies used to exploit the power, the major challenges, and their development trends are first presented. Then a modeling of fluxes across semi permeable membranes is proposed and validated. Next, an energy balance study is done in order to estimate the power potential for a given salinity gradient system. By applying this study to several rivers in Quebec, the salinity power gradient potential is estimated to 45 TWh/yr based on the minimal flow rate of each river.