In partnership with Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority, Watersheds Canada led a coldwater creek enhancement project at Easton’s Creek, Ontario in November 2024. This project connected corridors of brook trout habitat in a cold-water creek in Lanark County, where some of the few remaining cold-water brook trout creeks exist in the Mississippi River watershed. In total, 75 potted silver maple and black willow trees were planted along the creek and were wrapped with wire guards and stakes to protect them from animal browsing. Large pieces of organic materials were wrapped around the base of each tree to deter competition from other vegetation species.
This project increased stream cover through tree planting to shade and cool the water and increase shoreline habitat. Coldwater streams are significant tributaries in the proper function of natural ecosystems as they help 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, particularly for native species of brook trout.
All Watersheds Canada fish habitat projects are completed with applicable permits and approval by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. This project was made possible due to generous funding by the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund.
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 ten 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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