River Philip Chapter

The River Philip Chapter of Freshwater Conservation Canada was started in the fall of 2024 by a group of like-minded individuals who love to fish and spend time on the River Philip, and wanted to give back and make a difference to the watershed they were fishing. As a group, the chapter is dedicated to enhancing the overall health and connectivity of the River Philip Watershed as well as developing and fostering positive relationships with users and stakeholders of the watershed with local landowners along the watershed. To this end, the chapter is undertaking plans to restart and continue past restoration efforts done on the River Philip.

Of the fifteen Nova Scotian rivers that flow into the Northumberland strait, the River Philip is the largest and one with a reasonably healthy Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) population. The River also supports a viable population of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), and a diverse array of other species including but not limited to brown trout (Salmo trutta), rainbow smelt (Osmeru mordax), Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus).

The River Philip flows Northeast through a variety of landscapes from relatively untouched forested headwaters through more agricultural and urban landscapes approaching the head of tide in Oxford, Nova Scotia. The river is impacted in certain areas though various types of land use resulting in increased suspended sediment loads. It is acknowledged that the river is experiencing various forms of adjustment (widening, aggradation; and high rates of migration and degradation). These adjustments by the river in response to the anthropogenic impacts are resulting in loss of aquatic habitats for all species, as well as increased risk to private property and decreased water quality.

Contact Danny Ripley