2025 Kennebec Lake Restoration Project
In partnership with the Kennebec Lake Association and the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation, Watersheds Canada was able to perform a walleye spawning bed restoration project on a lake in Ontario’s Land O’ Lakes region.
Staff and volunteers met on September 17th, 2025, to restore the bed located in Kennebec Lake near the village of Arden. Against a backdrop of changing leaves, the team washed the bed using a high-powered water pump and brushed the bed to remove any excess buildup. Removing the silt has tremendous benefits for native fish species, which rely on clean spawning grounds for proper oxygenation and shelter of their eggs.
The bed will be further amended in the winter of 2026 with the addition of locally-sourced washed river stone. Guided by GPS markers, the team will be able to return to the same spot after ice has covered the lake and deposit the stone on top of the ice. With the coming of the following spring, the ice will melt and the stone will fall into place, further enhancing the substrate for native walleye. The Kennebec Lake Association and the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation have generously agreed to donate their time to this winter restoration project. The completed bed will serve the walleye population in the lake for decades, and help them and the rest of the freshwater ecosystem adapt to climate-related changes.
Thank you to Kennebec Lake Association, Safari Club International – Ottawa Valley Chapter, and Springwood Cottage Resort for generously donating the funds that made this project possible. 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 decade, including walleye spawning bed enhancements, cold-water creek enhancements, lake 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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