Watersheds Canada, in partnership with the River Institute and Quinte Conservation, will deliver a riparian habitat restoration, monitoring, and outreach project over 2025-2027. The focus will be improving the conditions of riparian zones and associated aquatic ecosystems to benefit targeted species at risk, including the Pugnose Shiner, Channel Darter, Grass Pickerel, Spotted Gar, Northern Sunfish, Bridle Shiner and Cutlip Minnow. This two-year project is possible thanks to generous funding by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program for Aquatic Species at Risk.

The Natural Edge shoreline restoration program will be delivered along the shores of the upper St. Lawrence River, East Lake, and Moira River in Ontario. The program will restore critical habitat by implementing riparian buffer zones that will reduce water quality threats, improve habitat quality, and support wildlife population stability. The Natural Edge staff provide guidance, tools, and resources needed for waterfront property owners to restore a shoreline using native plants. Site visits and custom restoration plans will be completed through this project, leading to the planting of native species of trees, shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers. The newly planted species will stabilize soils and reduce nutrient loading and sedimentation to positively impact this project’s targeted at- risk species.

River Institute, a key partner in this project, will actively monitor restoration sites and collect data with the objective of filling knowledge gaps in species at risk populations and gaining new data from areas not previously surveyed or monitored. With a changing climate and increasing shoreline development pressures on the targeted fish species, increased monitoring is essential to protect and sustain native populations.

Targeted species at risk education and outreach will be delivered to Sand Lake through the Love Your Lake program. Love Your Lake is a shoreline evaluation and stewardship program providing waterfront property owners with personalized reports recommending voluntary actions to improve their shoreline and overall lake health. Shoreline assessments took place on Sand Lake during June-July 2025, with property reports being mailed out in Spring 2026. In addition to property reports, Sand Lake individuals will also receive an educational handout on the Bridle Shiner, a special concern minnow species in Sand Lake. The handout will outline recommendations that landowners can take to improve habitat on their shoreline and in their lake overall for this target species.

This project exemplifies collaboration by uniting three organizations and their complementary programs—Watersheds Canada’s The Natural Edge and River Institute’s Fish Identification Nearshore Survey—to achieve shared habitat restoration goals. Together, this project will continue local efforts that advance species at risk conservation and recovery, building a foundation for sustained partnerships and future opportunities to protect aquatic habitats and biodiversity.

About Watersheds Canada
Watersheds Canada is a national non-profit charitable organization that works with landowners, Indigenous communities, families, municipalities, educators, and organizations to enhance and protect lakes and rivers through developing effective and transferable long-term solutions. Watersheds Canada envisions people caring for their waters, resulting in clean, healthy lakes and rivers to support humans and wildlife for years to come. Learn more at Watersheds.ca

About Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) helps to ensure healthy and sustainable aquatic ecosystems through habitat protection and sound science. DFO allocates a significant amount of time and resources to protecting and recovering aquatic species at risk. The Species at Risk Program (SARP) is responsible for delivering on DFO’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) requirements. Protecting species at risk requires a holistic and collaborative approach with internal and external partners of the department to achieve results.

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Media Contact:
Chloe Lajoie
National Conservation Director
Watersheds Canada
lajoie(at)watersheds.ca