In 2013, the St. Mary's River Association Recovery Strategy was prepared by Kris Hunter and Sean Mitchell to address the decline in the Atlantic salmon population. One of the main recommendations made in this recovery strategy was to increase the amount of available high quality habitat by increasing habitat restoration efforts. It was suggested that increases in habitat restoration be targeted to optimize habitat, exploit cold water refuge areas and promote aquatic connectivity within the watershed.
In 2014, the SMRA began habitat restoration work in the West Branch based on the Recovery Strategy. By 2020 we had completed over 20 kilometers of restoration on the West Branch of the river and decided that a similar plan was needed for the East Branch of the river. With funding from The Federation for the Conservation of Atlantic Salmon, this plan was completed in 2021 and restoration work on the East Branch began in 2022. Our restoration work has been completed by contractors MacInnis Natural Resource Services (MNR). Over the years we have received funding from the Nova Scotia Salmon Association, Adopt-A-Stream, the Federation for the Conservation of Atlantic Salmon, the Canadian Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (DFO), Small Craft Harbours (DFO), and the Coastal Restoration Fund.
In 2023, the SMRA successfully applied to DFO’s Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Fund (AERF) to complete a four-year project. This project will focus on completing high priority habitat restoration projects throughout the entire St. Mary’s River watershed. Restoration work will include digger logs and deflector work using a crew as well as large-scale restoration work using machinery. The large-scale work will focus on developing cold-water refugia and important staging pools for Atlantic salmon. A major component of this project will include a four-year monitoring program. This monitoring will be conducted on 6 tributaries of the St. Mary's:
In 2014, the SMRA began habitat restoration work in the West Branch based on the Recovery Strategy. By 2020 we had completed over 20 kilometers of restoration on the West Branch of the river and decided that a similar plan was needed for the East Branch of the river. With funding from The Federation for the Conservation of Atlantic Salmon, this plan was completed in 2021 and restoration work on the East Branch began in 2022. Our restoration work has been completed by contractors MacInnis Natural Resource Services (MNR). Over the years we have received funding from the Nova Scotia Salmon Association, Adopt-A-Stream, the Federation for the Conservation of Atlantic Salmon, the Canadian Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (DFO), Small Craft Harbours (DFO), and the Coastal Restoration Fund.
In 2023, the SMRA successfully applied to DFO’s Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Fund (AERF) to complete a four-year project. This project will focus on completing high priority habitat restoration projects throughout the entire St. Mary’s River watershed. Restoration work will include digger logs and deflector work using a crew as well as large-scale restoration work using machinery. The large-scale work will focus on developing cold-water refugia and important staging pools for Atlantic salmon. A major component of this project will include a four-year monitoring program. This monitoring will be conducted on 6 tributaries of the St. Mary's:
- Garden River
- Frasers Brook
- Cross Brook
- Barren Brook
- McKeens Brook
- Moose River
You Can Read more about our habitat restoration work by reading the reports below:
- AERF Year 2 Monitoring (2024)
- AERF Garden River Side (2024)
- AERF Rock Work (2024)
- AERF 2024 Stakeholder Report
- Habitat Restoration and Atlantic Salmon Conservation Update (2022)
- Habitat Assessment and Restoration Plan, East River St. Mary's (2021)
- West Branch Habitat Restoration (MacInnis)2017 Post Construction Report
- West Branch Habitat Restoration (MacInnis) 2015
- West Branch Habitat Restoration (MacInnis) 2014
-Recovery Strategy (Hunter) 2013
- AERF Garden River Side (2024)
- AERF Rock Work (2024)
- AERF 2024 Stakeholder Report
- Habitat Restoration and Atlantic Salmon Conservation Update (2022)
- Habitat Assessment and Restoration Plan, East River St. Mary's (2021)
- West Branch Habitat Restoration (MacInnis)2017 Post Construction Report
- West Branch Habitat Restoration (MacInnis) 2015
- West Branch Habitat Restoration (MacInnis) 2014
-Recovery Strategy (Hunter) 2013