Assessing and restoring aquatic connectivity in the Nashwaak Watershed

This project builds on the NWAI successes over the last eight years in assessing and improving fish passage in the Nashwaak watershed. The NWAI strategy for improving aquatic connectivity employs a comprehensive and collaborative approach. They reach out to local municipalities, federal, and provincial departments for information regarding barriers that have identified in the watershed. By utilizing open channels of communication, NWAI can educate and support these landowners to make informed decisions of how to improve connectivity in the Nashwaak watershed. This includes securing funding or providing resource support if appropriate.

The project goal is to identify, remove, or remediate these barriers identified through field surveys. Thus far, the NWAI has removed 2 barriers (Campbell Creek, Porters Brook), replaced 1 significant barrier (Kaine Creek), remediated (facilitated fish passage) for 4 barrier culverts, and contacted the government department regarding the remaining barriers. The two large barrier removal projects carried out in 2024, Porter’s Brook culvert removal and Kaine Creek Culvert replacement, were successful thus far. Similarly, culverts identified from previous years surveys have now been replaced. In addition to addressing culvert barriers, the NWAI have also removed major blockages to over 35 culverts during the duration of this project. This debris removal alone has opened several hundred km’s of valuable upstream habitat for a variety of fish species since the inception of this project. In 2025, NWAI will continue to check stream crossings, maintain fish passage infrastructure, and identify new barriers to fish passage.