On August 20th, our team installed a fish ladder on a culvert at Manzer Brook. We had surveyed this culvert in 2017 and recognized that it had a drop at the outlet that was preventing some fish from passing through in low water conditions. The ladder channelizes the flow, which allows fish to swim up into the culvert and continue their migration up Manzer Brook. The 3m long ladder was designed by HILCON Ltd. with input from UNB Fredericton Masters student Calvin O’Neill and Nathan Wilbur from the Atlantic Salmon Federation. It was custom fabricated by Tek Steel LTD and installed by our team with help from St. Mary’s First Nation Fisheries group.
Before installing the fish ladder, we were joined by NWAI director Mark Gautreau and students from the Canadian Rivers Institute for electrofishing above and below the project site. Electrofishing is a commonly used fish collection method where an electrical current is sent through the water to stun fish for fish population data collection. After being stunned, the fish are taken to be weighed and measured, and are then returned to their natural habitat. This information was used in our fish ladder project to determine what aquatic species were in the area. Some of the species that were found included Slimy sculpin, Blacknose dace, Creek chub, Brook trout, Sea lamprey, Eels, and a small Atlantic salmon!
We’d like to extend a big thank you to our funders for this project: Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation, Patagonia, WWF Loblaw Water Fund, NB Wildlife Trust Fund, and Government of New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund.
If you are ever passing by on Rte. 628, please feel free to check it out!