2019 Easton’s Creek Restoration Project
Thanks to funding from Cabela’s Canada Outdoor Fund and the LUSH Charity Pot, Watersheds Canada was able to participate in a Brook Trout Habitat Enhancement collaborative project at Easton’s Creek, Ontario. The creek’s location is about 45 minutes northwest of Perth, Ontario in the Mississippi River Watershed. Waddle Creek, one of the few remaining coldwater brook trout creeks in this watershed, flows into Easton’s Creek and continues into the Clyde River. This project increased stream cover through tree planting to shade and cool the water at Easton’s Creek and increased shoreline habitat.
Coldwater streams are significant tributaries in the proper function of natural ecosystems as they help to moderate temperatures in the larger rivers and lakes they flow into. Coldwater bodies hold more oxygen which is needed to support the full life cycle of fish species like Brook Trout. By providing additional stream cover, overhanging vegetation cools down the water and better supports the food web in the area. For example, leaf litter is a base food for many insects that fish and birds rely on to survive.
Watersheds Canada, in partnership with the Lanark County Stewardship Council, the Lanark & District Fish and Game Conservation Club, and the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, identified this area of Easton’s Creek as a suitable site for this Brook Trout Habitat Enrichment project. A total of 74 black willow and silver maple trees (5-6’ potted stock) were planted onsite. Staff from the Ottawa Cabela’s Canada store also came to Easton’s Creek for an education and awareness event and to help plant the final tree on site.
The initial site visit identified some seepages onsite from a nearby gravel quarry that was experiencing a rise in temperature from where the seepages emerged above ground and were exposed to sunlight. While this could not be directly addressed, the tree planting that occurred at Easton’s Creek will help mitigate and cool the stream. This site had its original tree cover removed with the nearby quarry and has become dominated by grasses since.
Many volunteers ensured each potted stock was properly planted and a large paper bag was placed on the ground around the base of each tree to smother the surrounding Reed Canary grass. Next, a coconut mat was placed on top. Both items are biodegradable and will return to the soil with time as the tree grows. The planted saplings were finally surrounded in wire cages and staked to provide protection against wildlife browsing. The bags, mats, and cages are pre-emptive actions taken to improve the tree’s chances of survival.
The Habitat Enhancement Project at Easton’s Creek took place on August 12 and 13, 2019 planting a total of 73 trees, but the final (74th) tree was planted on September 19, 2019, at the awareness and education event with the Cabela’s Canada Ottawa store staff.
This project was made possible through the support of partners and volunteers. The LUSH Charity Pot and Cabela’s Canada Outdoor Fund generously sponsored this project, including the purchase of all supplies. On the ground, the combined effort from Watersheds Canada, the Lanark County Stewardship Council, the Lanark & District Fish and Game Conservation Club, and the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority made this Brook Trout Habitat Enrichment project possible.
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 nine years, including walleye spawning bed enhancements, cold-water creek enhancements, 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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