The La Grande 1 (LG-1) hydroelectrical project, part of the La Grande Complex in Northern Quebec, required the construction of a 2444 m long dyke on the north bank of the river. The presence of sensitive marine clay, covered with deltaic sand and silt deposit, and river sand deposit, called for special design features such as downstream bank and upstream bank stabilization berms to avoid the occurrence of potentially disastrous retrogressive slides. This paper describes the geotechnical and hydrogeological conditions of the northern terrace and presents the different construction phases of the riverbank stabilization, with emphasis on the control of groundwater pressures in the lower aquifer by the use of relief wells.Key words: sensitive clay, river bank, dyke, rockfill, relief well, slope stability.