Abstract
Since the 1960s the Saint-Charles River has been the object of many developments. In particular, the banks of the River have been consolidated and riparian wetlands have been backfilled. A dam was built to counter the effects of the tides. The objective of these different development was to improve the quality of water and attract users. From the 1990s, municipal authority noted the failure of the developments made in the 1960s? It was decided to « it » River in the urban portion to meet seemingly contradictory requirements of developers, users, ecologists and residents. « Renaturation » of the Saint-Charles River in Quebec (1996-2009) is a milestone for the city of Quebec. Indeed, this operation of renewing urban led by the city is a success. Unfortunately this spectacular urban operation concerns only a small portion of the watershed. The challenge for the city of Quebec is now limiting urban sprawl.