Waterstrider - Clean Annapolis River Project - Summer 2023
Summer 2023
Annapolis River Festival a huge success!
On Saturday, July 15 we hosted the 6th annual Annapolis River Festival at Jubilee Park, Bridgetown, Annapolis County. Over 1840 visitors joined us at the park to celebrate the Annapolis River. Despite a brief interlude of thunder and lightning, we had a full day of on-the-water events, including dragon boat races, guided river tours, and a canoe/kayak/stand-up paddle board sprint race.Our 2023 dragon boat race winners include:
Fastest time- Nina’s Clan, sponsored by Paws in Paradise
Most Team Spirit- Lunn’s Mill Beer-a-cudas
Most Pledges Raised- RBC’s Royal River Runners
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the 120+ volunteers, 15 dragon boat teams, many sponsors, and community businesses and organizations who make this event possible. The Annapolis River Festival is CARP’s major fundraising event, providing funds that allow us to fill gaps where grants can’t be applied. As more event photos roll in, we will continue to share them through the Festival Facebook page, @CARP’s Annapolis River Festival.
Anadromous fish passage assessment and remediation in the Annapolis and Cornwallis River Watersheds, Nova Scotia
Rachel Walsh, Aquatics Program Manager
This two-year project, funded by DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans), is a collaboration between CARP and Jijuktu’kwejk Watershed Alliance and builds on CARPs past freshwater aquatics work. The primary objective is to identify and address barriers to fish passage for anadromous species, with a particular focus on Atlantic salmon habitat in the Cornwallis and Annapolis River watersheds. Barriers, such as culverts, can disrupt the movement of fish both upstream and downstream, causing habitat fragmentation and negatively impacting fish populations.
The primary focus of the 2023 field season is to assess and remediate barrier watercourse crossings within the Annapolis and Cornwallis River watersheds. CARP has already assessed 15 watercourse crossings and identified 7 that may pose potential barriers to fish passage. The two most common barriers observed this year are debris blockages and outflow drops (examples pictured above).
Debris blockages occur when materials like leaf litter, fallen branches, garbage, and silt accumulate at stream crossings, obstructing fish passage. This debris can be washed into streams directly from eroding streambanks or during high-flow events. Over time, debris can build up and restrict water flow through a culvert, impeding fish migration. To address this barrier, CARP staff utilize various hand tools, such as saws, shovels, and brush clippers, to remove the debris and ensure adequate water flow.
Perched culverts with outflow drops that are too high, become inaccessible to fish, limiting access to upstream habitat. To address this issue, tailwater controls are established downstream to raise the depth of water in a culvert's outflow pool, reducing or eliminating the outflow drop. For culverts with outflow drops exceeding 30 cm, other measures like additional weirs, fish chutes, baffles, and low-flow barriers are used in combination with tailwater controls.
By remediating the barriers in the 7 identified culverts, CARP aims to improve access to 25 km of upstream fish habitat, contributing to the restoration and conservation of Atlantic salmon populations in the region. The remediation work is expected to be completed by the end of September.
Wood Turtle Monitoring in the Annapolis River Watershed
Jessica Ferguson, Species at Risk Project Leader
This past spring, CARP staff and volunteers launched into a new year of Wood Turtle research. Donning chest waders and sunscreen, they hit the water in search of this elusive species.
After weeks of intensive surveying, 16 “new” turtles were encountered! CARP biologists give each turtle a unique identification code, so the turtle can be recognized the next time its spotted. This helps us understand where they spend their time, and which parts of their habitat are most important.
CARP’s turtle work continued into the summer months. During nesting season, 4 Wood Turtle nests were protected. Since many turtle nests get scavenged by predators (such as raccoon and coyote) shortly after being laid, staff installed protective caging around nests to keep them safe during their incubation period.
The Wood Turtle is a Threatened species in Nova Scotia. Loss and fragmentation of their habitat, an increase in populations of predators like raccoons, and dangerous roadways are some of the challenges they face.
CARP’s goal in conducting this work is to expand knowledge about the species, in order to make informed conservation decisions. We also aim to support you – the dedicated landowners who steward their land for the wildlife that live there.
We are currently seeking volunteers in the Meadowvale/Greenwood Area to assist with daily check of protected nests. Contact us ASAP to learn more!
Do you have Wood Turtles or other Species at Risk on your property? Reach out to us!
Managing stormwater in a changing climate
Tatyana Vukovic, Water Quality Project Leader
Saving for a rainy day!
Nova Scotia has been experiencing a very rainy summer this year. The increased precipitation events have already caused major flooding, erosion, and water quality concerns throughout the province. There is no more relevant time to be working on sustainable stormwater management projects in partnership with communities.How does Stormwater runoff degrade water quality?Many of our municipal sewage systems in the Annapolis watershed use combined sewage and stormwater collection. Combined sewer systems collect sewage from houses, businesses, etc. as well as surface runoff. During high-intensity rainfall or snowmelt events, the amount of stormwater collected by these combined systems can exceed the capacity of the sewage treatment plant they are connected to, resulting in untreated sewage waste overflowing into receiving waters.Additionally, the stormwater that is collected from roads, roofs, and other impermeable surfaces regularly carries trash, sediment, bacteria, heavy metals and other pollutants from the landscape, degrading local water quality.
Are there small things we can do to improve the situation?
Yes! Strategic landscaping alterations can help you significantly manage stormwater on your property. By doing so, you can reduce potential flooding of your property, help minimize negative impacts on lakes, streams and other receiving waters, harvest rainwater for additional uses (watering gardens, times of drought, etc.) and help to recharge the groundwater.
Stormwater Management through Natural Infrastructure
With the support of Environment and Climate Change Canada’s EcoAction program, we have partnered with the Town of Digby and Beacon United in Yarmouth in the pursuit of this initiative.We are in the late planning stages of two stormwater management projects and gearing up for implementation. Our main goals are to improve the water drainage on each site and promote stormwater infiltration to avoid overburdening storm sewers.Infiltration is the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil. This water is then filtered naturally through soil layers where it replenishes groundwater supply.We aim to break ground at both sites in September. Until then, work is ongoing to ensure that both sites have been prepped, plants ordered, and materials are ready for construction.
Community Champions
One of the best parts about working on a project centered around community improvement is how it attracts the generosity and involvement of community members and local businesses. At the beginning of July, Acadian Seaplants Ltd. donated two 1000L cistern totes towards our project site in Yarmouth. These cistern totes will collect rainwater and redirect it for use in the community garden on site. Acadian Seaplants have partnered with CARP on projects in the past and have continued to be a champion of sustainable community development within the Annapolis basin. Thank you Acadian Seaplants!
Exploring our estuary
Grace Bowen-MacLean, Estuary Project Coordinator
The Annapolis Estuary Monitoring & Research project is a multi-faceted program to fill knowledge gaps that will support the long-term restoration and stewardship of the Annapolis River estuary ecosystem, including the species-at-risk and other biodiversity it supports. In its initial stages, this includes establishing baseline population and habitat data that can be used to guide future restoration and enhancement initiatives. These findings can also be used to help inform management decisions regarding the decommissioning of the Annapolis Tidal Generating Station (ATGS), which suspended operation in 2019 following a notice from DFO to provide authorization under the Fisheries Act.So far in our 2023 field season, we are currently working on a number of deliverables including:
Sampling for striped bass eggs using stationary plankton nets in historical spawning locations
Beach seine surveys, with sites on the Annapolis River, Allain’s Creek, and Bear River
Water quality sampling at 11 locations along the Annapolis River to understand current conditions and create a profile of the thermal and saline stratification that has resulted from obstructed tidal flow at the Annapolis causeway and tidal generating station
Acoustic monitoring of striped bass and and Atlantic sturgeon in the Annapolis River estuary
So far this summer we have found 3 juvenile striped bass during our beach seine surveys and heard angler accounts of juvenile striped bass being caught. Our plankton nets captured over 3000 suspected striped bass eggs, which have been sent to a laboratory to confirm species. This data points to the possibility that striped bass have resumed spawning in the Annapolis River.
We have acoustically tagged 8 striped bass and 12 American eels so far this season. As the season continues we we hope to tag additional sturgeon as well as 4 additional striped bass, to help characterize their out-migration.
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