Trying our hand at counting redds on the Cheticamp River

The Cheticamp River Salmon Association has been interested in adding redd counts to our regular monitoring activities for years, and after hosting a training/practice session yesterday here in Cheticamp we are definitely one step closer to this goal.

Participants in yesterday’s redd count making their way up the Cheticamp River. Photo credit: Jimmie Pedersen.

The CRSA had Charles MacInnis (Habitat consultant and former DFO habitat coordinator) join us yesterday to lead the session held at Cape Breton Highlands National Park (CBHNP). Given that Charles is both familiar with the Cheticamp River (Charles was the lead consultant on the 5-year restoration project undertaken by the CRSA and CBHNP on the lower Cheticamp River) and has years of experience conducting redd counts, we seemed to be the perfect fit for leading the training/practice session.

Charles pointing out a large salmon redd to Jillian and Archie. Photo credit: Jimmie Pedersen.

And he didn’t disappoint. Charles shared his knowledge of where to look for redds and how to identify them, explained the protocol he follows when organizing and conducting a count, and also discussed some of the reasons to conduct a redd count (including to gather information on spatial and temporal distribution of spawning and help evaluate the effectiveness of habitat restoration projects). While the inclass portion of the day was informative, undoubtedly most participants in yesterday’s session would agree that the learning that took place and the experience gained in the river were the most valuable.

Charles sharing info with the group. Photo credit: Jimmie Pedersen.

In addition to Charles, another eight people participated in the practice redd count and training session: Rene Aucoin (President, CRSA), Jillian Baker (Project Manager, CRSA), Jimmie Pedersen (Director, CRSA - as well as popular fishing guide and photographer), Archie Doucette and Angie Rickets (Enivronmental impact assessment, CBHNP), Sarah Penney and Jenna MacEachern (Atlantic Salmon Recovery Project, CBHNP), and Keith Christmas (Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources).

Group shot of participants in the training/practice redd count (from left to right): Archie Doucette, Sarah Penney, Jillian Baker, Angie Ricketts, Keith Christmas, Jenna MacEachern, Charles MacInnis, and Rene Aucoin. Photo credit: Jimmie Pedersen.

Charles and the group covered an approximately one kilometer section of the Cheticamp River during the field portion of the training (spanning above and below the Faribault Brook tributary). Despite the weather not being as nice as originally forecasted (it ended up being overcast and cool instead of warm and sunny), Charles was able to help the group find redds belonging to the different salmonids in the Cheticamp River (Atlantic salmon, brown trout, and brook trout). In addition to learning how to distinguish between the different redds (it turns out that this is something that will take a lot of pratice and experience to feel confident with), participants also got to pratice laying out a sample reach (section of river to be surveyed) and filling in data sheets with information on the redds located. The group ended up being able to identify and record information on a total of 25 redds during the pratice count.

Sarah helping to measure a 100m section of the river to survey. Photo credit: Jimmie Pedersen.

Given that yesterday’s training/practice count was held relatively early on in the spawning season, the CRSA hopes to follow-up with at least two more redd counts on the Cheticamp River. Stay tuned for results on these future counts!

Rene and Jillian taking a look at some of the data collected during the practice count. Photo credit: Jimmie Pedersen.

The CRSA is able to extend its season and continue with data collection thanks to the generous funding and support from its many partners, funders, and volunteers, including the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the Nova Scotia Salmon Association’s NSLC Adopt-a-Stream Program, the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Sage Environmental Program, Dalhousie University, the Atlantic Water Network, and the Atlantic Salmon Federation.

Looking back over the summer and transitioning to fall

As fall weather starts to settle in, the Cheticamp River Salmon Association (CRSA) is gearing up to transition with the seasons, already thinking ahead to the fall and preparing for the next phase of fieldwork.

The CRSA continued to work closely with partners at Cape Breton Highlands National Park (CBHNP) this year, with their efforts focused largely on data collection. The data collection consisted of a continuation of a water temperature study initiated in 2017, as well as extensive habitat assessments and surveying work.

The CRSA worked closely with partners at Cape Breton Highlands National Park to conduct habitat assessments this summer

With our changing climate, it is increasingly important to gain a better understanding of water temperature. This is particularly needed as part of efforts to conserve species like the Atlantic salmon that are vulnerable to elevated water temperatures. For example, increased water temperatures can mean there is less habitat suitable for meeting the needs of Atlantic salmon at different stages in their life cycles, not to mention that warmer waters can cause negative physiological responses in the fish, including death.

Through collecting summer water temperature data along the Cheticamp River, the CRSA and CBHNP are hoping to be gain a better understanding of the temperature regime of the Cheticamp River, as well as identify locations prone to elevated water temperatures as well as sources of cold water. This information is important as it can help inform management decisions, including future climate change adaptation efforts. In addition, the water temperature data from the Cheticamp River will also be included in a centralized database managed by the RivTemp network, a partnership of universities, government agencies, and watershed groups dedicated to conserving Atlantic salmon in eastern Canada.  

Matt Fraser, CRSA’s Habitat Restoration Crew Leader this summer, helped install water temperature loggers on the Cheticamp River

In addition to the water temperature study, the CRSA and CBHNP also worked together to conduct habitat assessments throughout the lower Cheticamp River. These involved taking channel measurements (including width and depth), identifying substrate composition, collecting water quality information (dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature), and using surveying equipment to measure elevation and create profiles of the riverbed. This information is useful as the Cheticamp River has undergone major changes in recent years (a large flood in 2015 had particularly drastic impacts) and this data will help provide a clearer picture of the habitat types and distribution on the lower Cheticamp River, as well as identify areas that may be candidates for restoration work or other management measures.

CRSA and Parks Canada staff working together to collect elevation data as part of habitat assessments on Cheticamp River

This year’s project follows right on the heels of a five-year instream habitat restoration project completed last year by the CRSA and CBHNP. This multi-year project focused on improving fish passage through unnaturally and critically overwidened sites on the lower Cheticamp River by installing instream structures designed to encourage the river to gradually narrow and deepen. While the river continues to respond and adjust to the instream work, this year’s data collection efforts help to fill in important knowledge gaps and will help inform future management plans for the Cheticamp River watershed.

The CRSA’s work this summer was possible thanks to not only a continued partnership with Parks Canada, but also funding and support from the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation, the Nova Scotia Salmon Association’s NSLC Adopt-a-Stream Program, and Sage Environmental Program. The Clean Foundation, Service Canada’s Canada Summer Jobs Program, and the Federal Government’s Young Canada Works Program also helped with funding for the CRSA’s student summer work crew – the hard-working young people that helped with much of the data collection.

Work may have wrapped up for the CRSA’s summer crew (the students have all returned to school), but the CRSA’s work is far from over. This fall is shaping up to be an especially busy one, with work to include more habitat assessments and surveying, retrieval of temperature loggers and data analysis, report writing, and a fall redd count (a redd is a nest where salmon lay their eggs).

Stay tuned for more project results and updates through the fall.