Etiquette

A Guide to the Responsible Use of Our Rivers.

We Need Your Help

We acknowledge, understand, and respect that the Dumoines, Noire and Coulonge rivers flow through the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg people. Algonquins have cared for these rivers and their water sheds for thousands of years and continue to do so to this day.

Gone are the days when only a few wilderness travellers paddled the three sister rivers – Dumoine, Noire, and Coulonge – in a season. Now, there are more than 1,000 travellers on the Dumoine River each year and, as a result of the increase in numbers, there is more of an impact on the river and the watershed.

We need your help to keep these rivers in pristine condition, and protect them for your use and the enjoyment of future generations. Here are a few minimum guidelines that we all must follow.

Before You Leave Home

Repack your food and beverages at home in order to reduce weight. Travelling light will help make your trip all the more enjoyable. It is essential to take out all of the containers you bring in: Styrofoam, plastic, metal, and glass can take centuries to decompose, and can be harmful for the environment and wildlife. Avoid all glass containers and limit your use of metal cans as far as possible. Please take out all of the containers that you bring in. Compostable containers are a good solution: they can be purchased at outdoor equipment stores and recycled from home.

It is also essential to ensure your canoes and boats are free of invasive species. Before you bring them into the watershed, you must wash them thoroughly with soap and water and dry them in the sun for at least a day. Nooutsidewood may be brought into the region:it can contain harmful pests and invasive species that can decimate local flora and fauna.

Fires

Fire is becoming one of the greatest threats to forested areas throughout Canada–and the Dumoinewatershed is no exception. We ask that you take exceptional care when lighting a fire of any kind. Use a fire box or gas stove whenever possible to minimize the potentially devastating environmental impact of an open fire. You must always check the fire hazard conditions at the Zec or use the Quebec government website before building any open fire: https://cartes.sopfeu.qc.ca. 

Use a gas stove when open fires are not permitted. Use only designated fireplaces, and do not build new fireplaces, other than in an emergency. If you do find yourself in an emergency situation and have to build a new fireplace, build it on bedrock.

Keep open fires small, using just enough wood for cooking. For firewood, gather sticks and driftwood well away from the campsites and refrain from cutting trees. Never peel birch bark from living birch trees.

Dose your fires thoroughly. Do not under any circumstances, leave a campsite with a fire still smouldering. Use a bailor to get the cold ashes and dispose of them in a thunder box, where provided, to assist in their decomposition.

Smoking

Do not smoke on the trails.

Burn cigarette butts, or, better still, bag them, and take them out with you. A cigarette butt takes up to 10 years to decompose. Never throw cigarette butts into the river as they pollute, can be harmful to wildlife, and contain hazardous microfibers.

Human Waste

Thunderboxes have been provided wherever possible for human waste. Burn used toilet paper or carry it out in a disposable bag. Where there are no thunder boxes available, dig a small hole about 20 cm (8 inches) at least 60 m (200 feet) away from campsites and bodies of water. Burn the used toilet paper in a bag, place it in the hole, and then cover the hole with dirt when you have finished. Any feminie hygiene products must be carried out with you.

Solid Waste

Wet waste does not burn and takes two seasons to decompose. If you want to burn your waste, you must dry it first. All dry food waste must be burned thoroughly on a grill over an open fire or carefully packed out to discourage animals from coming into campsites. Never burn plastic: always carry it out. Pack out all cans, glass, aluminum foil, and foil wrappers.

Wash your plates, cutlery, cups and pots in a bucket or collapsible basin well away from the river. Dispose of the water you have used by spreading it out where it will drain, well out of sight.

If others have left waste, please help protect the trail and watershed by carefully burning it or packing it out. Please do not dispose of waste in the first local garbage bin you see. it is not local garbage. Please take it home, recycle or compost whatever you can, and dispose of the rest in your municipal garbage.

Soap, Shampoo, and Sunscreen

Wash with biodegradable soap and shampoo well away from the river where the soapy water can drain into the soil. Never use soap or shampoo in the river. No soap or shampoo is completely biodegradable, although “biodegradable soap” is better than most regular soaps. Please do not swim if you are lathered with sunscreen: most sunscreens contain materials or chemicals that are hazardous to the environment. 

Fishing

Refrain from using live minnows. Make sure you have a valid fishing licence and follow the Quebec guidelines regarding catch limits.

Wildlife

Observe wildlife from a distance. Keep your dog on a leash to prevent it from chasing animals. Never feed wildlife.

Hunting

Be aware of hunting seasons and respect other user groups.

Camping

Use established campsites only and leave the construction of new sites to us. Before leaving your campsite, do a final check for tinfoil, cigarette butts, rubber bands, twist-ties, and plastic bread tabs.

Leave What You Find

Preserve the past. You can examine – but please do not touch – any historic or cultural structures, and artifacts that you observe. Please do not remove plants, stones, shells – or other natural objects. Do not build trenches, furniture – or structures.

You Can Help

It really is most important to follow these guidelines. If you see things that may be harmful to the environment or wish to comment on conditions on the rivers, please email us at: dumoinefriends@gmail.com.

To become a member of the Friends of Dumoine and/or to contribute to our conservation efforts, please contact us via home page or send us an email at: dumoinefriends@gmail.com.