Lanark County, February 6, 2026 – Enough stone to spread across a dance floor now covers the ice on the westerly side of a small island on Lake Kennebec in eastern Ontario. It is ten tonnes of washed river stone to be exact, a perfect nursery for millions of walleye eggs that will produce adult fish in the decades to come. But until the winter hardtop returns to open water and the fresh load of substrate settles to the bottom, the even spread of dark stone against the snow and ice is another monument of volunteer willpower and conservation dreams.
The volunteers, representing the Kennebec Lake Association, Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, Snimikobi Algonquin First Nation, and Springwood Cottage Resort, are united in the dream for conservation supported by Watersheds Canada and its national award-winning Fish Habitat program.
Watersheds Canada’s fish habitat expert, Melissa Dakers, proudly keeps adding up her charity’s fish habitat projects. “Including the work on Lake Kennebec on February 4th, Watersheds Canada has completed 77 fish habitat projects and 27 of those are restored and enhanced walleye spawning beds. Today’s project was funded by Safari Club International – Ottawa Valley Chapter, and Springwood Cottage Resort.”
Last fall, Melissa led a team across the lake in boats loaded up with a high-pressure water pump, hoses, brushes, and other equipment to remove silt and algae from the existing spawning shoal.
Many of those Watersheds Canada staff and volunteers returned to the lake via snowmachines, side-by-sides, and ATVs a few months later. Each rider with a trailer or dump bucket was given small loads of washed river stone thanks to G.E. Matson & Sons Construction who volunteered their time and equipment to run a backhoe from shore. Over 60 small loads taken across an ice road and dumped on the precisely marked spawning shoal were then evenly shoveled and raked by volunteers.
Brendan Cregg, Kennebec Lake Association’s lake steward, said he wanted “to do something big” for the lake he calls home alongside Watersheds Canada, the organization he completed an environmental internship with in 2018. “Our last lake reports support the community’s belief that the walleye population has been in decline on Kennebec Lake,” he said. After being involved in Watersheds Canada’s award-winning small conservation project on nearby Big Clear Lake last winter, Brendan added, “in my first year as the lake steward, I knew I wanted to do something about the declining walleye numbers.”
Dakers said it all starts with someone, like Brendan, who cares enough about their local fish population to reach out and ask how Watersheds Canada can help.
“I conduct spawning shoal visits with volunteers, work with Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources staff for habitat data and work permits, and then we call out for funders, material and equipment donations, and most importantly, helping hands.”
On Kennebec Lake, helping hands came from two local First Nations.
“Chii Miigwetch for the opportunity to be part of the walleye spawning bed restoration project today. The work you all do is so important for our environment. We need more organizations like Watersheds Canada helping Mother Nature. It was a wonderful experience,” said Sandra Bickell, project coordinator at Snimikobi Algonquin First Nation.
“We are sister communities on either side of Mississippi Lake with the Snimikobi Algonquin First Nation. This project is what our land guardians do as we give back to nature. We are fortunate to have a relationship with Watersheds Canada to get involved in this project and are thankful to have likeminded people beside us to protect these lands, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples,” said Connie Deroneth, council member and project lead at Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation.
“As always, Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation is pleased to participate in the important projects that Watersheds Canada has to protect and rehabilitate keystone species habitats.”
Dakers said now the wait for spring is on. Volunteers will be anxious to annually count walleye during prime spawning time.
“Two of our most recent walleye spawning restoration projects, including one in a creek that flows into Baptiste Lake, were declared successes in the first spawning season after our work. Local volunteers committed to monitoring saw up to 40 fish on the restoration sites!”
Watersheds Canada, a non profit registered charity, thanks its most recent partners for this fish habitat restoration success: Kennebec Lake Association, Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, Snimikobi Algonquin First Nation, G.E. Matson & Sons Construction, Springwood Cottage Resort, and Safari Club International – Ottawa Valley Chapter.
About Watersheds Canada
Watersheds Canada is a registered Canadian charity committed to providing programs to communities across the country to engage and help individuals enhance and protect the health of their lakes and rivers. Since 2002, they have delivered freshwater stewardship programming, shoreline naturalizations and assessments, education outreach, and in-water habitat restorations. To learn more, visit Watersheds.ca
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Media contact
Melissa Dakers
Habitat and Stewardship Program Manager
Watersheds Canada
dakers (at) watersheds.ca