West (Elliot) River Enhancement Project

There were three main objectives CQBW chose to complete during the 2012 summer. 1) to open access for Atlantic salmon on three culverts, 2)  to reduce sediment and restore natural stream hydraulics and 3) A technology transfer.

Outcomes:

1)   PEI Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal has completed repairs to a badly dammed culvert. Two rock riffles were also constructed below the two culverts. These riffles altered stream gradients sufficiently to compensate for two perched culverts, allowing all size classes of fish to navigate upstream.

2)   Since the beginning of June the field crew has cleared alder and removed excess woody debris from 1.7km of stream in Brookvale branch. They have planted 500 native trees in 25 new patch cuts in an alder-chocked riparian zone. They have built 15 brush mats covering 1000ft of stream bank. They have installed 42 split or whole logs in a 1.2 km section of stream.  In total 2500-3000 cubic yards of sediment have been removed from two existing sediment traps with the assistance of a Hymac, with plans to install 1 new sediment basin.

3)Two water technology students from Holland College and three students alongside paid staff learned about the tools of stream enhancement.  

Sediment trap one year later.