Improving aquatic habitat and connectivity in our watershed is one of the priority targets in our strategic plan. Given that 68 % of the culverts surveyed in the Nashwaak Watershed are partial to full barriers to fish passage, there remains much to be done by way of increasing access for fish to coldwater tributaries and refugia. According to DFO barriers to fish passage are the greatest threat to healthy freshwater ecosystems. DFO identified the Nashwaak River as a priority salmon river for recovery in the lower Wolastoq/St. John River system. Thus far in 2020 we have already carried out one successful culvert remediation project with two more planned before the end of September.

The East Ryan Brook fish ladder installation took place this summer, where a concrete box culvert was retrofitted with an aluminum fish ladder. The culvert was impeding access to cold water upstream habitat for fish, including Brook Trout and Atlantic Salmon, which cannot tolerate sustained water temperatures above 22 °C. Access to cold water refugia is of particular importance during hot, dry summer weather as we have been having this year. The sustained high temperatures this summer have resulted in water temperatures in the Nashwaak River this August exceeding 25 °C in some areas. Electrofishing last year found many brook trout using this coldwater stream.

Several baffles were installed to backwater the culvert so that there is enough water for fish to pass through the culvert. Heavy rocks were also placed in the culvert to simulate a natural stream bed. The combination of rocks and baffles serves to slow water moving through the culvert by making it meander so that it is easier for fish to swim upstream.

We would like to thank Tek Steel LTD  for manufacturing and installing the ladder, HILCON Ltd for the design,  BGC Engineering Inc for assisting with the installation, and the New Brunswick Department of Transport & Infrastructure for allowing us to work on their infrastructure. This project was funded by The Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation, WWF Canada, the NB Environmental Trust Fund, and the NB Wildlife Trust Fund.

As NB heads into a general election, we want to know: what will local candidates do to uphold the commitments made with regards to conservation?

We posed three questions to all candidates in the Fredericton North, Fredericton York and Fredericton Grand Lake ridings (the Nashwaak Watershed crosses through each of these political ridings).

1. What will you do to increase New Brunswick’s current 4.6% protected land for conservation to the international and national targets of 25% by 2025, and 30% by 2030?

2. What will you do to protect wetlands, buffers along streams, rivers, coastal habitats, and floodplains as well as healthy forests to protect us from flooding due to the changing climate?

3. What will you do to implement the provincial water strategy?

Special thanks to our conservation colleagues at Nature NB, CPAWS-NB and the Nature Trust of NB for developing and sharing these questions. We’d like to thank all the candidates to took the time to answer the questions that we posed. The responses are listed in the appropriate riding in the order that they were received: 2020 Election Responses

Neil’s Flats is the site of our most ambitious restoration project yet, comprising more than 50 ha of floodplain nestled just outside the heart of Fredericton. Despite the uncertainties of the pandemic, The NWAI has planted over 1500 red-tipped willows, red-osier dogwood and balsam poplar, and 800 silver maples. This could not have been achieved without the support of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, WWF – Canada, and our partnership with ACAP Saint John.

Neil’s Flats is located within a provincially significant wetland and comprises 50.7 ha of floodplain area owned by The City of Fredericton. Approximately 70 % of this property is abandoned agricultural fields, with the remainder comprising fragmented silver maple floodplain forest. By restoring healthy floodplain forest community on Neil’s Flats we can achieve the objectives of mitigating and preventing riverbank erosion, flood mitigation and restoring floodplain forest structure and species composition. Silver maple floodplain forests are adept at absorbing large amounts of water and have the capacity to slow flooding and reduce flood levels. Furthermore, reforesting floodplains will help to moderate the temperature of the Nashwaak River by providing shade to the river, making it more resilient to our warming climate. The NWAI has committed to restoring this important forest community along the Nashwaak River, for the benefit of wildlife and local communities within the watershed.

The Campbell Creek Restoration Project is a 4-year partnership between NGOs, Wolastoqey (Maliseet) communities/ organizations, and the City of Fredericton. A major component of the ecosystem restoration is the removal of the derelict, 100-year old Campbell Creek Dam (or Millbrook Dam). The dam has never provided fish passage and does not meet the Canadian Dam Association Guidelines in terms of public safety, spillway capacity, or stability. It is preventing access to important spawning, feeding, and cold-water habitat for species-at-risk including the Atlantic salmon and the American eel. Restoring connection not only benefits aquatic species but also reunites Wolastoqwiyik with an important region in their traditional territory and local residents to an iconic and productive tributary.

The project is funded by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation. This webinar will feature ~30 mins of presentations that will cover the following topics:

 

• Wolsatoqey history of the area
• the history of and information on the dam
• environmental concerns including water quality and fish passage
• safety concerns
• engineering design for the headpond drawdown
• the restoration schedule.

A Q&A session with panelists will follow.

Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RjZgHvNNS02RZm304IP_Rw

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

CBC NB coverage of this project: Here

 

Marie-Eve and Yves are protecting the Penniac riverbank for the betterment of our watershed and community. In May and June with considerable help from the landowners 150 silver maple and 100 balsam poplar trees were planted by Chris Smissaert and his team. 160 shrubs were planted; of which 100 were red-osier dogwood and  the remainder were red-tipped willows.

A healthy stream bank, or riparian zone, provides better fish habitat, cleaner surface water, and valuable habitat for birds and other animals. With good vegetative cover the Penniac river is less vulnerable to environmental changes.

Natural Edge brochure