by Allie Rivers, Mi’kmaw Conservation Group
Deflectors Crib(s): Instream rock structures that flush the stream of silt and redeposit the sediment alongside the banks aiding in bank creation and stabilization. When two of these structures exist together (aka double deflector), they cause the stream to narrow as well as deepen at the natural centre of the channel.
During the summer and fall of 2017, the Mi’kmaw Conservation Group (MCG) along with Pictou Landing First Nation (PLFN), Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation (PMN), and the Pictou County Rivers Association (PCRA) carried out stream restoration and monitoring activities to improve fish habitat quality in the Barneys River Watershed in Pictou County, N.S. The Barneys River Habitat Restoration team consisted of Alyx MacDonald, the MCG Research and Education Officer, two PLFN Field Technicians, and several PLFN, PMN, and MCG Summer Students. This project was funded by the Environmental Damages Fund and the Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnership Program.
Throughout the project, the team carried out the removal of instream and stream-side waste, installed 12 instream structures including a retaining wall near an abandoned dump site, rock sills, and deflector cribs. They also repaired 15 pre-existing instream structures, collected water quality measurements (i.e. dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, etc.), improved fish passage through a culvert, and installed an educational panel about the importance of the work that was completed. Furthermore, Community members obtained both Watercourse Alteration and Instream Fish Habitat Restoration training which allows these members to learn about and have the ability to be involved in current and future stream restoration activities!
On a related note, MCG is currently in the initial stages of planning stream restoration and monitoring activities in the East River in Pictou for the 2018 summer and fall seasons. The East River Tributary Remediation and Atlantic Salmon Monitoring Initiative will be in collaboration with PLFN, PCRA and DFO. The goals of this project are to improve and increase Atlantic salmon habitat quality and quantity respectively to increase spawning success and to gain knowledge and understanding of the salmon population in the East River Pictou Watershed.
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- Deflectors Crib(s): Instream rock structures that flush the stream of silt and redeposit the sediment alongside the banks aiding in bank creation and stabilization. When two of these structures exist together (aka double deflector), they cause the stream to narrow as well as deepen at the natural centre of the channel.
Deflectors Crib(s): Instream rock structures that flush the stream of silt and redeposit the sediment alongside the banks aiding in bank creation and stabilization. When two of these structures exist together (aka double deflector), they cause the stream to narrow as well as deepen at the natural centre of the channel.
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- Rock Sill: An instream rock structure placed perpendicular to the stream flow which creates stable, deep-water habitat, sorts gravels within the streambed, and helps develop a proper riffle/pool ratio.
Rock Sill: An instream rock structure placed perpendicular to the stream flow which creates stable, deep-water habitat, sorts gravels within the streambed, and helps develop a proper riffle/pool ratio.
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- Retaining Wall: An instream wall that protects the stream bank, resulting in reduced erosion and increased bank stabilization.
Retaining Wall: An instream wall that protects the stream bank, resulting in reduced erosion and increased bank stabilization.
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- Deflectors Crib(s): Instream rock structures that flush the stream of silt and redeposit the sediment alongside the banks aiding in bank creation and stabilization. When two of these structures exist together (aka double deflector), they cause the stream to narrow as well as deepen at the natural centre of the channel.
Deflectors Crib(s): Instream rock structures that flush the stream of silt and redeposit the sediment alongside the banks aiding in bank creation and stabilization. When two of these structures exist together (aka double deflector), they cause the stream to narrow as well as deepen at the natural centre of the channel.
