2019 Kashwakamak Lake Brush Bundle Project
Watersheds Canada received funding by the LUSH Charity Pot which allowed for an In-water Fish Habitat Enhancement project to be completed. Kashwakamak Lake is located about 90 minutes west of Perth, Ontario in the Township of North Frontenac.
Underwater woody debris is a healthy and important component of lake environments. Sunken logs, trees, branches, and root balls provide excellent habitat for wildlife, including fish, turtles, birds, and invertebrates. Brush piles can provide fish, such as perch, bass, and walleye, with a food source, as well as shaded areas to rest, spawn, and escape predators.
This project was implemented by Watersheds Canada and Peter Johnson, the Lake Steward of the Kashwakamak Lake Association. On Monday, October 7, 2019, ten brush bundles were built and placed in specific areas of the lake. Locations were chosen where the bundles would both increase wildlife habitat availability while also avoiding human activities such as boating. Reintroducing this woody debris to the lake bottom improved the fish habitat on Kashwakamak Lake.
This In-water Fish Habitat Enhancement project would not have been possible without funding from the LUSH Charity Pot. In addition, the assistance received from the Kashwakamak Lake Association was appreciated and necessary to complete and support this work.
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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