2024 In-Water Structures Project – Wollaston Lake
Delivered in partnership with the Wollaston Lake Home & Cottage Association, North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery, and Bancroft Area Stewardship Council, Watersheds Canada led a fish habitat restoration project on Wollaston Lake, 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.
Undeveloped lakes can have hundreds of logs per kilometre of shoreline which provides abundant natural woody habitat. However, on developed lakes, shoreline property owners often remove woody debris from their waterfronts for aesthetic reasons, easier swimming, and safer boating, all which ultimately reduce habitat for fish species. Thanks to a strong community-led effort, human-made woody debris structures built on Wollaston Lake will mimic naturally occurring processes and ensure there is habitat for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, and panfish in the lake.
This project was generously funded by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, and Ontario Bass Nation. 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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