River Restoration 2016
This year we will be performing restoration in Beaver Pond Brook and in Lewis Lake Brook. These are two suburban watercourses impacted by past activities (logging, etc.) and are currently impacted by expanding residential development (in Glen Arbour on Beaver Pond Brook, not so much in Lewis Lake). Aside from the installation of instream habitat restoration structures, we will also be cleaning debris jams (both remnants of Hurricane Juan windfalls and related to human-related debris and less than coincidental lumber dams), improving pools, defining channels, and closing off side channels (braiding) to improve flow.
Sackville River Watershed
Beaver Pond Brook
Beaver Pond Brook
Lewis Lake Brook
Lewis Lake Brook Debris Jam
Current Sponsors
- Small Change Fund
- Sage Environmental Program
- McLean Foundation
- Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation
- RBC Blue Water Project
- Student Summer Skills Incentive (
SKILL) - Service Canada Summer Jobs Program (SCSJP)
- NSLC Adopt-a-Stream
- DFO Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnership Program (RFCPP)
Some Project Pictures – September 2016 – what we faced before restoration – Hurricane Juan and other human-related debris choking Lewis Lake Brook and Beaver Pond Brook, and a historically dry summer, with our watercourses largely drying up (although the best conditions to work in).
River Restoration 2016 final report
River Restoration 2015
In the summer of 2015, SRA had continued work on Thompson Run in Upper Hammonds Plains (see map below), that represents a continuation of restoration that took place in 2010. We had also continued on the Stoney Brook project from previous years in order to mitigate severe storm damage from our record setting winter of 2014/15.
Thompson Run (red circle) in relation to the Sackville River Watershed
River Restoration 2015 was funding by the following:
- Walmart Evergreen
- Sage Environmental Fund
- TD Friends of the Environment Foundation
- Service Canada Summer Jobs Program
- Student Career Skills Development Program
- DFO Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnership Program
- Environment Canada
- Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation
- NSLC Adopt-a-Stream
- LUSH
This project had resulted in the installation of 29 structures in Thompson Run (15 rock sills and 14 deflectors) while also involving debris clearing and channel work for fish passage, as well as pool improvement and flow control on Thompson Run and one of its tributaries, Little Sandy Lake Brook. Further work on Stoney Brook, resulting in 6 structures being installed (3 reinstalled diggerlogs and 3 new log berms). The result of these activities was the improvement and/or creation of fish habitat and the improvement of fish passage in a suburban watercourse impacted in the past by specific land uses (i.e. forestry, log driving, and sawmills) and currently impacted by residential development and current land uses (golf, utility corridors, etc.).
River Restoration 2015 Final Report
Jennifer releasing a salmon at the Sackville River fishway after data collection.
Electrofishing on Thompson Run
Rock sill installation on Thompson Run
River Restoration 2014
For 2014, SRA will be continuing our restoration efforts on the Little Sackville River in Lower Sackville, and in Stoney Brook in Millwood. Stay tuned for further information regarding this project.
Support for this project includes:
- NSLC Adopt-a-Stream Program
- EcoAction
- RBC Bluewater Foundation – Community Action Grant
- TD Friends of the Environment Foundation
- Sage Environmental Fund
- Service Canada Summer Jobs Program
- Student Career Skills Development Program
- DFO RFCPP
Here are some of the activities that have taken place through this project
Little Sackville River
Diggerlog at Hallmark Avenue
Rock sill at Sackville Cross Road
Rock sill at Sackville Cross Road
Rock sill at Sackville Cross Road
Diggerlog maintenance at Falling Brook
Debris jam removal in Millwood
Wetland Enhancement – anthopogenic wetland at a storm sewer outfall
Pool started as a stagnant, algae-filled, foul-smelling, eyesore.
Digging an inlet to increase flow in (this pool was only previously fed by flooding and by stormwater
Pool was dug out at the inlet to increase water flow in, while the outflow was controlled by rocks to hold water
Plants were brought in and planted at appropriate projected water depth
So much growth had occurred through the summer that the pool is hardly recognizable – stagnant smell and algae gone, and the growth does not hinder storm flow
Stoney Brook – Millwood
First a large amount of debris was cleared so that years of silt and sediment from development runoff could flush through the system
Quite a bit of large woody debris had built up from Hurricane Juan in 2003, hindering flows and building more debris (both wood and garbage)
Once the debris was cleared and silt/sediment start to clear, the crew could get to work moving rocks
Three more logs were installed in this section of Stoney Brook (below)
Given another season for the silt and sediment to flush through, restoration can continue.
River Restoration 2014 Final Report
River Restoration 2013
As part of our River Restoration 2013 project, we will be restoring habitat in three watercourse – Tomahawk Run in Hammonds Plains, Stoney Brook in Millwood, and the Little Sackville River in Lower Sackville. These three project sites will involve the installation of in-stream structures (diggerlogs, rocks sills, etc.) as well as pool creation/enhancement, thalweg (channel) work, de-braiding (closing off side channels to concentrate flow in a main channel), and general debris and garbage removal.
Support for this project includes:
- Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation
- NSLC Adopt-a-Stream Program
- EcoAction
- RBC Bluewater Foundation – Community Action Grant
- TD Friends of the Environment Foundation
- Sage Environmental Fund
- Service Canada Summer Jobs Program
- Student Career Skills Development Program
- Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps
Below are some of the pictures thus far from the project this year.
Stoney Brook before and during restoration
Stoney Brook, before restoration this year, was a watercourse highly impacted by silt-laden waters stemming from upstream development. This silt was deposited in the low-grade still waters above the Millwood wetland at the Little Sackville River. The silt was unable to move through this area into the wetland where it could spawn fertile wetland growth due to a highly braided section of watercourse that was hindered by large amounts of Large Woody Debris (LWD), and general garbage. The water was still, murky, and warm, with a bottom composed of deep silt deposits.
During restoration (see above), this debris and garbage was removed, the braids were blocked off with windfalls from Hurricane Juan in 2003, and the flow began to move. Once this flow was concentrated and movement in the water started, the bottom started to sweep and rock and cobble came to the surface, the water started to clear and became more cool.
With each rainstorm, this area flushed more and more, thanks to the help of our crew. After several months of cleansing stormwater flows, this area next spring will be in much better shape and will be reassessed for further installations of structures (six structures will be installed in the summer of 2013).
Below are a few pictures of the results of this project.
See link below for the Final Report for this project.