Olmstead-Jeffrey Lakes Brush Bundle Project - Watersheds Canada – Work, Live & Play in Healthy Lakes and Rivers

2021 In-Water Structures Project – Olmstead-Jeffrey Lakes

Olmstead and Jeffrey Lakes are located in Renfrew County, southeast of the Village of Cobden, Ontario. Located in the Upper Muskrat River Catchment of the Muskrat Watershed, Olmstead and Jeffrey Lakes empty into the Muskrat River which then empties into the Ottawa River in the City of Pembroke.

In 2021, local organizations and volunteers came together to gather on-land woody debris like sticks and snags, tie them together with rope, anchor them to concrete blocks, and add them back into the lakes in order to create enhanced walleye, pike and bass habitat. Underwater woody debris is a healthy component of lake environments but is often removed as property owners and waterfront businesses look to “clean up” the aquatic environment around their property.

Sunken logs, trees, branches, and root balls provide excellent habitat for wildlife and are required to maintain healthy populations of key recreational fish species in the area such as walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, brown bullhead, and channel catfish. These areas also benefit turtles and macroinvertebrates like snails and dragonfly larvae, all of whom now have more natural areas to rest, grow, and hide from predators thanks to this community-led effort that added 18 piles of woody debris back into the two lakes. This newly created education handout is an excellent summary of how different natural features along a shoreline benefit different wildlife species.

This project was made possible by funding from Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s Outdoor Fund and the Pembroke Petawawa District Community Foundation, and with local partners including Olmstead-Jeffrey Lake Association, Muskrat Watershed Council, Watersheds Canada, Algonquin College Pembroke campus, and Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry – Pembroke.

The success of this project will be measured by comparing the underwater GoPro footage taken when the brush bundles were added to specific locations on the two lakes, and then returning to those sites in the coming years to record the activity around the bundles. These results should show increased activity and variety of fish species using the woody debris.

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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