Successful Applicant:
Winter River - Tracadie Bay Watershed Association
Award:
$6,854
Project Title:
Wildlife Habitat Enhancement in Winter River - Tracadie Bay Watershed
Project Gallery:
Project Summary:
Goal: Improve forest quality and quantity:
Interplanted forested areas with diversity of tree species to create more microhabitat types and food options for wildlife; created/expanded hedgerows to reduce erosion and increase wildlife habitat area and habitat connectivity within agricultural landscape; and planted trees and shrubs in former agricultural fields adjacent to forests to expand the forest faster and with more diversity than if left to natural succession processes.
Goal: Improve fish passage:
Removed blockages and debris from 3.6 km of streams to improve fish passage and water flow patterns; worked with Department of Transportation, Infrastructure & Energy on project planning for extensive culvert work to take place in 2020.
Goal: Improve water quality:
Installed six new brush mats and improved 2 brush mats to remove silt from waterways and improve substrate for fish eggs; conducted shoreline cleanup around Tracadie Bay to collect 1340 kg of material to prevent plastic ingestion by wildlife; measured dissolved oxygen levels at two sites within the Winter River estuary to quantify duration of anoxic events which could kill fish; worked with farmer at erosion control project to protect fish habitat below a potato field.
Activities took place throughout the Winter River - Tracadie Bay watershed area.