2024 In-Water Structures Project – Lake St. Peter
Delivered in partnership with the Lake St. Peter Property Owners Association, Bancroft Area Stewardship Council, and North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery, Watersheds Canada led a fish habitat restoration project on Lake St. Peter, Ontario in September 2024. Twenty piles of woody debris were built on-land by community volunteers, anchored with concrete blocks, and then deployed in strategic areas away from boat traffic routes. GPS coordinates were gathered for each spot where brush bundles were deployed and the coordinates were submitted to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources for monitoring purposes.
Underwater woody debris is a healthy component of a lake environment. Sunken logs, trees, branches, and root balls provide excellent habitat for wildlife. Beaver activity, wind, erosion, or water inflows from rivers or creeks naturally deposit such woody debris into a lake. However, human activity and development have significantly reduced the amount of natural woody debris going into lake ecosystems. Through community-led restoration work, human-made woody debris structures built on Lake St. Peter will mimic naturally occurring processes and ensure there is habitat for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, panfish, lake trout, and walleye in the lake.
This project was generously funded by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, Ontario Bass Nation, and the Scanlan family. All Watersheds Canada fish habitat projects are completed with applicable permits and approval by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
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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