2025 Paddy Brush Bundle Project
In partnership with the Lanark and District Fish and Game Conservation Club, Watersheds Canada’s Fish Habitat team led a project aimed at improving fish habitat conditions in Paddy Lake, ON.
The project brought members of the community together to enact direct positive change for native fish species through brush bundle deployment. Brush bundles reestablish in-water woody debris that many aquatic and amphibious creatures rely on for shelter, breeding, and feeding. Through supporting them throughout their most important life stages, fish populations can safely rebuild and maintain resilience in the face of climate change and pressures from shoreline development.
To create brush bundles, the team places a brush pile on top of a rope. The bundle is tied together tightly and affixed to a cinder block by means of a wire. The entire bundle can then be brought out by boat to its drop location. Locations are marked with GPS coordinates so that they can easily be monitored in the future by researchers.
Given that the lake is relatively inaccessible, the bundles on Paddy Lake were brought out by staff and volunteers by canoe. With this new habitat and limited disruption by boaters, native fish species are provided a real chance to build population numbers to sustainable levels, with benefits for the entire lake ecosystem.
This project was made possible thanks to funding provided by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund. All Watersheds Canada fish habitat projects are completed with applicable permits and approval by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
In partnership with grassroots organizations and local volunteers, Watersheds Canada has completed many fish habitat restoration projects across Eastern and Central Ontario over the past decade, including walleye spawning bed enhancements, cold-water creek enhancements, lake trout spawning bed enhancements, and in-water habitat enhancements through the deployment of brush piles (woody debris). If you think your Ontario waterfront community could benefit from a fish habitat enhancement project, please check out the free Fish Habitat Enhancement Toolkit: Watersheds.ca/download-the-fish-habitat-enhancement-toolkit/
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