Increasing climate change resiliency through targeted monitoring activities and new restoration work and plan development

The Cheticamp River Salmon Association’s (CRSA) 2026 project will involve expanded monitoring work, targeted restoration activities, and strategic planning with an overarching goal of increasing the climate change resiliency of local Atlantic salmon populations and their freshwater habitats.

Building on the success of its ongoing monitoring programs, the CRSA will continue population assessments (smolt wheel + electrofishing) and habitat and water quality monitoring, while working with the Atlantic Salmon Federation’s Wild Salmon Watersheds team to develop new monitoring stations and collect additional climate-related data. The new data, including stream discharge/flow rates and riparian vegetation and forest cover mapping, will be used alongside other ecological, hydrological, and biological data to help quantify and define climate resilience for Atlantic salmon in the Cheticamp River watershed. The information gathered will be used by ASF and partners in the development of new tools for prioritizing future restoration and conservation actions.

In addition to the monitoring activities, CRSA’s 2026 project will include restoration work aimed at improving instream habitat on Ruisseau de Bazile and Ruisseau du Lac—two degraded watercourses that support small runs of Atlantic salmon. These efforts will focus on reaches of the watercourses that have been heavily impacted by land-use practices – including farming/agriculture and logging – and extreme weather events, with a goal of using hand-built instream structures to restore the natural channel meanders, enhance habitat complexity, improve water quality, and ultimately support the long-term health of these important local watercourses (see map page 13 of locations of proposed work).

Building on assessments and site visits completed in 2025 for Ruisseau de Bazile, the CRSA will also develop a restoration plan to guide future projects within the watershed. This plan will involve collecting and compiling baseline data, identifying priority areas for intervention, and outlining strategies for improving habitat resilience.