TUC receives a Federal Recreational Fisheries Award for its contributions to the Grand River watershed conservation and management

Exciting news! Trout Unlimited Canada’s Duffins Creek Watershed Renewal Program has received a Walmart Evergreen Green Grant of $8K. This grant will fund workday and outreach events. Through streamside tree planting workdays and public outreach events such as Duffins Creek Family Fun Day, Trout Unlimited Canada will foster pride, appreciation and enjoyment of Duffins Creek. Tree planting workdays will take place in Fall 2012. Many thanks to the generosity of Walmart Evergreen Green Grants! Trout Unlimited Canada’s Duffins Creek Watershed Renewal Program in partnership with Toronto and Region Conservation with founding sponsoring Enbridge Gas Distribution aims to protect the Duffins Creek headwaters and to improve water quality while engaging local residents in restoring the aquatic ecosystem of this significant river. By working together, we are ensuring a healthy future for Duffins Creek and ourselves. More information about the program can be found through our Duffins Creek Blog.

This spring, Trout Unlimited Canada completed the construction phase of the Policeman Creek Habitat Enhancement project in Canmore, Alberta.  The goal of the project is to build upon previous enhancements of overwintering fish habitat within Policeman Creek.  Due to changes in water management and groundwater flows, there has been limited wetted habitat for fish residing in the creek over winter for most of the last 15 years.  Surface water in much of the creek during the winter months has been limited to a few shallow, isolated pools.  During especially dry years, several salvage efforts have been completed in late spring to move fish from drying pools to functional deep water areas where they could survive until runoff. In 2006, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, in conjunction with a local developer constructed overwintering pools in Policeman Creek near the Spring Creek Mountain Village.  Trout Unlimited Canada biologists and volunteers conducted electrofishing assessments within three of these constructed pools in April 2010.  The effort resulted in the capture of 199 fish including 99 Brook Trout, 78 Brown Trout, 19 Mountain Whitefish, and three Longnose Suckers.  The electrofishing assessment demonstrated the importance and functionality of these pools in Policeman Creek in providing overwintering habitat to both juvenile and adult trout during low water years. After two years of planning and baseline sampling including electrofishing and redd surveys, on April 16, 2012 TUC hired a local contractor to excavate five overwintering pools in Policeman Creek.  Felled spruce trees, provided by Spring Creek Mountain Village, were placed in the pools to provide functional hiding cover for fish.  A secondary benefit of the project involved the creation of islands within the creek that will provide quality waterfowl habitat. The next phase of the project includes planting willows and grasses on the islands to promote a healthy riparian zone benefiting fish and wildlife.  The final phase of the Policeman Creek Habitat Enhancement Project will include a multi-year monitoring program to assess fish use of the pools, to ensure the success of the island vegetation, and to evaluate any changes in spawning activity in Policeman Creek. This project was made possible thanks to funding from the Alberta Conservation Association’s Grant Eligible Conservation Fund, the volunteer contribution of the TUC Bow Headwaters Chapter, and advice from Alberta Sustainable Resource Development – Fish and Wildlife Division.

Reconnecting Canada – The Million Mile Effort. Reconnecting Canada – Trout Unlimited Canada (TUC) has been known for decades for its efforts in fisheries protection, stream rehabilitation and partnership in management efforts across the country. TUC is pleased to announce its first national stream rehabilitation campaign. This campaign will join TUC staff, volunteers, members and partners across the country to achieve a common goal – reconnect Canada’s waters Across the country rivers, streams and creeks are severed by many different types of crossings, many of which have culverts. A culvert is a structure placed under a road that allows water to pass under the road, utility or trail. Culverts are commonly made from concrete or metal and come in various shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, many culverts have significant negative impacts to Canada’s precious rivers and streams. Culverts can stop or hamper fish and other animal passage, cause erosion and most importantly reduce the quality of water upstream and downstream. Why is this important? Rivers and Streams provide vital services to animals, people and our environment. Clean, healthy water improves our recreational areas by reducing the ability of viruses and bacteria like E. coli to survive. These healthy waters also improve and create new habitats for a variety of animals, improving the value and quality of our parks and wild areas. Healthy trees and plants need clean water to grow, improving air quality and reducing air temperatures during hot spells. Healthy rives provide cleaner water for communities that use rivers and lake for drinking water, irrigation and industry. Clean water is cheaper to treat, and better for our communities. Trout Unlimited Canada is committing to making these changes happen in Canadian communities, it’s time to reconnect our waterways! By replacing or fixing culverts that are causing erosion, degrading water quality, hampering fish movement and threatening our roads and utilities we will make our communities healthier and stronger.