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Position Summary: We seek a talented and detail-oriented Marketing Content Creator to bring our mission to life through compelling digital engagement. Responsibilities: Produce creative content beyond graphics, including video editing, marketing materials, presentations, social media assets, and layouts Develop engaging stories that highlight our impact and inspire action, and share on our socials, website and blogs Maintain and update website content, ensuring current and visually appealing information Schedule, post, and monitor social media content to increase reach and engagement, updating LinkTree, Eventbrite, and Shopify Identify shareable partner content from other organizations and Freshwater Conservation Canada Chapters Qualifications: Legally entitled to work in Canada (required) A college diploma or undergraduate degree (preferred) Meets requirements of Canada Summer Jobs (required) Skills: Knowledge of social media best practices for nonprofit engagement Basic understanding of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and video editing, as well as trends, ads, and analytics Basic photography skills Knowledgeable with updating, creating and developing website pages Work Environment: In office with occasional work in the field (tree planting, willow staking, etc., to capture digital content) Semi-flexible schedule with occasional evening or weekend work for events Position Title: Marketing Content Creator Location: Guelph, ON or Calgary, AB Hours: 20h/week or 40h/week (part-time or full-time position available) 8 month contract with potential for extension         Salary Range: $19-$22/hr How to Apply: Please submit your cover letter and resume electronically as a single file to info@freshwatercanada.org with the subject line “Marketing Content Creator.” Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until a suitable candidate is found. Freshwater Conservation Canada is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, language, citizenship, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, physical and/or mental ability, or financial status. We thank all applicants in advance for their interest in Freshwater Conservation Canada; however, only those under consideration will be contacted.

Position Summary: We seek a talented and detail-oriented Marketing and Communications Coordinator to bring our mission to life by managing campaigns, media, newsletters and assisting with eventing. Responsibilities: Create visual assets, infographics, and multimedia content to support campaigns, events, and community engagement Design and produce creative materials, including brochures, reports, event invitations, and promotional pieces, using design programs such as Canva Write and edit copy for newsletters, donor communications, media, and marketing materials. Create and distribute the quarterly newsletter from concept to delivery Create timely, personalized donor thank-you emails and letters Craft and manage special email campaigns to encourage ongoing support, volunteering, or event participation Support fundraising and community events promotions, including design, copywriting, and post-event follow-up communications Qualifications: Legally entitled to work in Canada (required) A college diploma or undergraduate degree (preferred) Meets requirements of ECO Canada (preferred) Skills: Proven experience writing clear, compelling copy for a variety of audiences Basic knowledge of updating, creating and developing website pages Basic experience with CRM databases Basic experience with project management for events Work Environment: In office with occasional work in the field (tree planting, willow staking, etc., to capture digital content) Semi-flexible schedule with occasional evening or weekend work for events Location:  Guelph, ON or Calgary, AB Hours:  40h/week (Full-time permanent position)            Salary Range: $20-$28/hr How to Apply: Please submit your cover letter and resume electronically as a single file to  info@freshwatercanada.org with the subject line “Marketing and Communications Coordinator.”   Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until a suitable candidate is found.  Freshwater Conservation Canada is an equal opportunity employer and employs personnel without regard to race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, language, citizenship, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, physical and/or mental ability, or financial status We thank all applicants in advance for their interest in Freshwater Conservation Canada; however, only those under consideration will be contacted.

While we work with rivers and streams, we also work with water on land. When we assess sites for our Cooling Streams  riparian restoration program, one of the first questions we ask is simple but powerful: What is water doing? By watching where water enters, moves through, and leaves a site—and noticing where it’s needed—we can design restoration projects that keep newly planted trees and shrubs alive, improve soil health, and support biodiversity – and ultimately support healthy rivers and streams. This is especially important as we face more extreme weather—longer droughts, heavier rains, and more frequent high heat days—due to climate change. To show how we apply this approach, let’s look at a test plot where we trial restoration techniques at our project site on the Eramosa River, near Guelph, Ontario. The plot lies within a 58-acre land trust, known as Property 2, where we are: Managing invasive species like European Buckthorn and Giant Hogweed Planting native trees and shrubs Rehabilitating a Black Ash / Red Maple swamp impacted by Emerald Ash Borer Re-introducing endangered Butternut trees resistant to Butternut canker Surveying fish species to support our land trust partner’s conservation work The test plot has a southeastern slope with varied microtopography. Rain and snow arrive mainly from the west and northwest, so water runs off quickly in some spots while pooling in others. Before restoration, European Buckthorn dominated; once we removed it with help from community volunteers, the exposed soil was vulnerable to erosion and drying out. An example of the mature individuals of buckthorn at the site Our challenge was clear: how do we work with water to give new plantings the best chance of survival, while managing invasive species? The Problem is the Solution Instead of just removing Buckthorn, we repurposed it perform these functions that work with water: Dead hedge at the upper slope edge  – We used cut Buckthorn to build a long permeable barrier where the slope meets an open agricultural field. This “dead hedge” slows the prevailing winds like a snow fence, causing more snow to settle on the site. Come spring, that extra snowmelt provides water for young trees. The hedge also creates habitat for wildlife and insects. Windbreak and microclimate  – The hedge reduces evaporation by slowing the drying effects of wind, keeping soil moisture higher. It also buffers strong wind gusts that may damage trees. Standing dead shrubs  – In some spots, we treated Buckthorn with herbicide but left the stems standing. These provide partial shade, reduce wind, and create vertical habitat for birds and other species. Shade-tolerant shrubs and trees can be planted underneath. Mulch – Branches were chipped and spread around new plantings. Mulch suppresses competing vegetation and helps retain soil moisture. Habitat piles  – Larger branches were stacked into piles or scattered across the site to provide moist refuges for species like the Red-backed Salamander , which relies on damp cover for shelter, hibernation, and to hunt insects. Our test plot. You can see the mulch, treated stumps, habitat piles as well as the dead hedge right upslope above the grass. In short, we turned a problem into part of the solution. By converting an invasive species into mulch, hedges, windbreaks, and habitat, we created conditions for native trees and shrubs to establish and thrive. Over time, these plantings will strengthen the riparian ecosystem, helping both the river and the many species—including people—that depend on it.   Next Steps: Storing Water in the Soil Following the dead hedge construction, crews will next dig swales —shallow trenches set along the natural contours of the slope. Swales slow down surface runoff from rain and melting snow, reducing erosion and giving water more time to soak into the soil. This creates a kind of underground “savings account” of moisture that trees and shrubs can draw on during dry periods. See It for Yourself You can visit our test plot and the restoration site through Google Street View. Follow the trail, and you’ll see the different riparian ecosystems we’re working to rehabilitate and enhance, plus beautiful views of the Eramosa River. Bonus points if you can spot our field crew site monitoring: Explore the site on Google Maps

What are they? Invasives are species that have either travelled or been transported to an environment outside of their native range. This movement can be purposeful or accidental; however, it differs from that of a non-native or introduced species, and attains invasive status when it begins to outcompete and prevent the growth of native species.   Plants are growing and thriving, so how is this a bad thing? Invasive species management is such an important topic because pollinators, as well as other wildlife and plants, rely on a diverse array of native species to successfully grow and reproduce. Invasive species disrupt an ecosystem's equilibrium, which has developed over thousands of years, causing a decrease in biodiversity that has cascading effects within said ecosystem. The initial invasive species disruption also invites other invasives to thrive in the disturbance, worsening the situation.   Because of the complexities of this, there are various levels of invasive species, as some are more successful than others. Ontario has the most invasive species of all Canada’s provinces and territories, but this is an issue that environments worldwide face. Limited prohibitions and restrictions currently exist for these species, creating a gap between what’s covered by legislation and what's happening on the ground. This leaves organisations, municipalities and conservation authorities to close the gap themselves and take local action. Invasive species from left to right are European Common Reed   ( Phragmites australis subsp. australis ), Japanese Knotweed ( Reyoutria japonica ) and Flowering Rush ( Butomus umbellatus ) Terrestrial Invasive Species Examples : Phragmites (invasive common reed), Buckthorn (European and glossy), Dog strangling vine (Black and Pale swallow wort), Knotweed (Japanese, giant and hybrid knotweed), Giant hogweed and Wild parsnip, etc.   Aquatic Invasive Species Examples : Xeno-carp, Goldfish, Eurasian watermilfoil, Flowering rush, Curly leaf pond weed, Yellow iris, etc.   There are also   invasive insects, fungi and diseases  like Emerald ash borer, Spongey moth, Hemlock woolly adelgid, Oak wilt, Butternut canker, Beech bark and leaf disease, etc. Qualities that make invasive species successful ● Speed: Many invasives grow large, fast and aggressively throughout an elongated season compared to native species  ● Reproduction and dispersal: They are high-volume reproducers that release many eggs or seeds ● High tolerance for various growing conditions, whether that be temperature, pH, pollution, duration of sun/shade, moisture requirements, etc. ● Lack of predators   There are various means by which invasive species spread; some are accidental, and others are purposeful. Accidental spread most commonly occurs via air, water or truck transportation. Despite some restrictions, invasive species move within cargo and boats, or through the water used to balance ships (ballast water). Other accidental means include everyday hiking, wind, wildlife, etc. However, many invasive species have spread through purposeful selling, either in the horticultural/landscaping sphere or the pet/wildlife trade. This remains common today, as restrictions are limited and insufficient to prevent this movement.   What are we doing to mitigate this? Freshwater Conservation Canada frequently manages invasive species, some of which include Buckthorn, Giant hogweed, and Phragmites. Other species we encounter include Curly leaf pondweed, Garlic mustard, Knotweed and more. Management and removal are done both chemically and manually, over multiple seasons, to ensure success and note the emergence of new growth.   Additional actions include: ● Leading volunteer efforts in invasive removal and educating the public to increase awareness ● Trialling new management methods like biotic resistance, along with our ongoing efforts to reintroduce native species in our restoration projects to increase diversity and support a healthy ecosystem ● Working with other professionals in the space to increase success FCC staff, volunteers and corporate workday participants are pictured from left to right, showing the removal of Buckthorn, Giant hogweed and Phragmites. What can the public do to help? Aside from directly removing invasive species, it's important to raise awareness and encourage people to take proper precautions, when possible, to prevent the spread.   Since personal and recreational boats, canoes and kayaks are concerning vectors, an easy way to prevent this is through proper maintenance and cleaning. Even if you can't see anything, microscopic species or juveniles can still travel this way, which is why it's best practice to clean, drain, and dry your boats and other aquatic equipment between sites. It's even recommended that you take necessary precautions to clean or disinfect your wearable gear (shoes, hiking poles, bags) when moving between regions.   Other options include: ➔ Joining or supporting us in our efforts! Or working with other organisations who have similar missions ➔ Reporting any invasives you see using apps like EDDMapS or iNaturalist ➔ Using native plants in your gardens and landscaping projects ➔ Disposing of garden species and surrendering unwanted pets through proper channels

The Upper St. Mary Watershed Tucked away in the southwest corner of Alberta, the St. Mary River is home to a variety of unique species in the province. This watershed is home to three threatened fish, Bull Trout, Westslope Cutthroat Trout, and a small, unassuming fish, hiding between rocks in the streambeds – the Rocky Mountain Sculpin.  These species are threatened in part due to habitat degradation, often cumulative from a range of human impacts. In the upper St. Mary, decades of off-highway vehicle (OHV) use and cattle grazing have compacted soils, funneled sediment into creeks and prevented re-growth of plants along stream banks. Over the past three years, Freshwater Conservation Canada has partnered with leaseholders in the Pole Haven Grazing Lease (PHGL), private landowners in the broader watershed, and Cows and Fish to recover stream banks, install grazing best management practices, and combat future degradation. We have also worked with the Alberta Off-Highway Vehicle Association to install needed off-highway vehicle (OHV) crossings. The St. Mary is one of only three river systems in Canada where the Rocky Mountain Sculpin is found.  Because of their limited distribution and relatively low numbers, every meter of habitat matters for protecting this fish in Alberta. Did you see the sculpin hiding between these rocks? Now you do! Harnessing the Power of Plants! Did you know? Willows and poplars can grow from just a branch cutting! That’s because these two species have evolved to take advantage of damage from beavers and seasonal flooding to colonize new areas. In nature, these broken off branches are carried by the river to new banks and gravel bars, become partially buried by stream sediment, and grow new roots and shoots using the energy stored in the wood. This year, we took advantage of this cool evolutionary process, and planted >550 willow and poplar stakes to revegetate degraded riparian areas, and help stabilize eroding banks. Willow and narrowleaf poplar stakes incorporated into a wattle fence to stabilize an eroding bank on Lee Creek. A Rare Winter Field Trip FCC staff emerged from their winter hibernation early in 2026 to complete some trail and riparian rehabilitation at the PHGL. This work built on habitat and trail assessment work completed in 2023 and 2024 and focused on reclaiming unused and redundant trail segments used by the area leaseholders to reduce sediment delivery into Lee Creek and Tough Creek. We worked with Leaf Ninjas to complete this work, who took the chilly conditions at site in stride. While many of the reclaimed trails and stream crossings currently receive low or no use, they still degrade critical habitat for the aquatic residents of Lee and Tough Creek. That’s because the compacted soils on the trails cannot hold on to water, and instead act as a raceway for water moving down the trail surface. Water does not encounter much friction on the relatively smooth surface of the compacted trails, and picks up speed, just like a ball rolling down a hill. The fast-moving water is powerful, able to carry loose soil particles in its flow, and is pulled down by gravity towards the stream, where the silty water is deposited. Rocky Mountain Sculpin spend most of their lives hiding in the spaces between loose gravels and boulders, and when the fine silt particles delivered by the trail enter a creek, they fill in these hiding spaces, leaving the sculpin with nowhere to hide from predators. To address this issue, approximately 800m of compacted trail surfaces were decompacted using a small excavator. This creates loose, fluffy soils that hold onto water instead of shedding it, reducing sediment delivery into the creek, and recharging groundwater aquifers. The loose soils are also the perfect growing medium for new plants, promoting rapid revegetation of these disturbed surfaces. To help speed up the revegetation process, FCC also distributed woody debris over the reclamation area, and spread native seeds on the freshly decompacted soils. In addition to soil decompaction and native seed distribution, FCC also installed one stream crossing structure over a needed stream crossing, removed a damaged culvert that was creating issues with water ponding upstream, and worked with the leaseholders at the PHGL to expand a seasonal grazing exclusion fence on Lee Creek over degraded riparian area. Still More to Come FCC will continue to monitor and maintain the 2026 rehabilitation sites for years to come, and will continue working in the area to restore degraded sculpin and trout habitat wherever we can! Do you live in in the upper St. Mary watershed, and are wondering how you can help your fishy friends? Reach out to us at info@freshwatercanada.org ! 2025-2026 Acknowledgements This work was supported by funding from Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program, Alberta Conservation Association’s Conservation Community and Education Grant, and TC Energy through Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Conservation Exchange Pilot. Thank you to our partners at the Pole Haven Grazing Association for their input with rehabilitation planning, a private landowner along Lee Creek who requested our assistance with an eroding bank, and our willow staking volunteers!

Meet the Mountain Whitefish: a quiet star of our rivers. The Mountain Whitefish , Prosopium williamsoni If you spend time around rivers or mountain lakes in western North America, there’s a good chance you’ve been near a Mountain Whitefish —even if you didn’t know it. They might not be as flashy or well-known as trout or salmon, but Mountain Whitefish play an important role in keeping our freshwater ecosystems healthy. A juvenile mountain whitefish surveyed by FCC. Photo credit: Matt Wallace Mountain Whitefish have a sleek, silvery body with a bronze or light brown back. They have a small, toothless mouth tucked under a pointy snout—this type of mouth is called “subterminal”. Other distinguishable characteristics include having large scales. Their diet mostly consists of the larvae and pupae of small aquatic insects that live on or near river and lake bottoms. Now and then, they’ll grab insects floating near or just under the water’s surface. Whitefish use their fleshy snout to flip rocks and to root around for food tucked away beneath cobbles and gravel. Their torpedo-shaped body and stabilizing fins help them hold steady in fast currents where many other fish would struggle. Distribution of Mountain Whitefish in Alberta. Image Credit: Nelson and Paetz (1992) Location and Distribution These fish are found across western North America . In Alberta , they live in clear, cold mountain streams and lakes. Some Mountain Whitefish stay in one spot all year, but many move between different areas depending on the season. They usually have separate spots for: Feeding  in the spring and summer Spawning  (laying eggs) in the fall Overwintering  during the cold winter months Spawning Traditionally occurs between late September and November . During this time, groups of Mountain Whitefish move into shallower parts of lakes or streams. Unlike trout, they don’t dig nests (redds) for their eggs. Instead, they scatter them over gravel, and the eggs stay there through the winter. Over the winter, they develop and eventually hatch around March ! What makes them important? Mountain Whitefish are known as an indicator species . That means their presence can tell us about the health of the ecosystem. Because they live in so many different freshwater environments and have relatively stable populations, scientists use them to monitor environmental changes. In short, if Mountain Whitefish are thriving, it’s a good sign the rest of the ecosystem is doing well, too. Bull Trout: Predators of Mountain Whitefish. Photo Credit: Adam Peters These fish are also an important food source for Bull Trout, one of Alberta's native trout species. As Bull Trout are classified as Threatened in Alberta, it’s crucial that we protect and conserve the ecosystems that both of these fish live in. So, while they may not be the most famous fish in the water, Mountain Whitefish definitely deserve some attention. They're an important part of our natural world and a reminder of how all species—big or small—play a role in keeping ecosystems balanced. References Kranzfelder, P., Anderson, A.M., Egan, A.T., Mazack, J.E., Bouchard, J., Rufer, M.M.,  Ferrington, J. 2015. Use of chironomidae (Diptera) surface-floating pupal exuviae as a rapid bioassessment protocol for water bodies. JoVE. 101: e52558–e52558. Nelson, J.S., Paetz, M.J. 1992. The fishes of Alberta. 2nd ed. University of Alberta Press. 248-252. Popowich, R.C. 2005. Determining Bull Trout habitat and prey selection using snorkel surveys and stable isotope analysis. M.Sc . Thesis, University of Edmonton, Edmonton, AB. 62. Siddig, A.A.H., Ellison, A.M., Ochs, A., Villar-Leeman, C., Lau, M.K. 2016. How do ecologists select and use indicator species to monitor ecological change? Insights from 14 years of publication in Ecological Indicators. Ecol. Indic. 60: 223-230.

Decades of industrial activity, livestock grazing, the presence of feral horses, and recreational use have influenced Radiant and Elk Creek, two tributaries of the Clearwater River in Western Alberta. These activities degrade riparian areas and instream fish habitat that support native fish species, including Bull Trout, which are currently listed as threatened at the federal and provincial levels in Canada. Since 2019, Freshwater Conservation Canada has led restoration efforts to improve habitat in these creeks. Efforts have followed low-tech process-based restoration principles (LTPBR), which involve hand-building structures to promote stream-floodplain reconnection and habitat recovery. A combination of Beaver Dam Analogues (BDAs) and Post Assisted Log Structures (PALS) was installed on the two creeks to mimic natural wood accumulation and beaver dams. One of our PALS on Radiant Creek In the 2024 field season, we saw new silt and gravel deposits and erosion surrounding the PALS built in previous years. One of the project's goals is to reconnect streams to their floodplains, and targeted erosion is an important step toward that goal. These PALS and the hydraulic processes A bank attached PAL They create and contribute to increased channel complexity and a wider variety of aquatic habitats. In 2024, eight more PALS and four BDAs were built on Radiant Creek, and four BDAs were built on Elk Creek. In 2025, we amplified the benefits of this work by repairing structures and planting live willows on the stream banks. At both Radiant Creek and Elk Creek, an exclusion fence was built to keep livestock and wild horses out of the project site. Wildlife cameras were also set up to monitor stream height changes induced by several spring snowfalls and to observe any animals that had entered the project area through an open fence. In the 2025 field season, we repaired broken panels along the exclusion fence and downloaded the data from the wildlife cameras. We were excited to see two beavers swimming by one of the BDAs that we had built! They have completely taken over many of our structures, which have since grown. Trail camera footage showing a beaver near one of our BDAs! The beaver is in the middle of the creek on the left side of the BDA. Every year since the implementation of the PALS and BDA structures, we have conducted a fish survey at Radiant Creek to assess changes in the fish community over time. When this study was first conducted in 2021, only two Brook Trout were captured within the project area. When we repeated this study in 2025, our staff caught one Bull Trout, fourteen Brook Trout, and three Longnose Dace. We are happy to see that the structures we have built are providing good habitat for the threatened Bull Trout at the restored site! The Bull Trout we caught in the Radiant Creek restoration area Much of this restoration work was completed with support from volunteers. Thank you to everyone who helped make this project a success! Work on the Radiant Creek was also completed in part thanks to Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Nature Legacy Fund. Freshwater Conservation Canada will continue work in the area in 2026 by finalizing restoration and monitoring the success of the BDAs and PALS.

Freshwater Conservation Canada is pleased to share that we have joined the Ontario Salt Pollution Coalition  (OSPC) . The OSPC is coordinated by Water Watchers and comprises concerned individuals, community groups, and NGOs working to improve, affecting Ontario’s handling of salt pollution. The Issue Salts have long been used for de-icing roads, parking lots, and pathways. In fact, it’s estimated that Ontario uses more than 2 million tonnes of road salt per year. Although this salt is applied to surfaces to keep us safe, an unintended consequence is that too much salt is entering our waterways, affecting the health of freshwater ecosystems. Over the past few decades, chloride concentrations in many of Ontario’s water resources, including groundwater aquifers, lakes, streams, and rivers, have been steadily increasing to the point that they sometimes exceed chronic toxicity levels for aquatic life. These high salt levels disrupt the delicate balance of these ecosystems, influencing food webs, degrading habitats, threatening freshwater biodiversity, and putting drinking water sources at risk. Storm drains along roadways and in parking lots act as direct conduits to our rivers, lakes, and streams, carrying pollutants such as road salt that harm freshwater ecosystems. Calling for Change There is growing recognition that something needs to change. At the time of writing, 32 municipalities in Ontario have passed resolutions calling on the provincial government to address road salt pollution. In addition, Landscape Ontario, the trade association representing the snow and ice management sector, is also calling on the Province to take leadership on this issue. Coalition members and supporters are asking the Province for immediate action on this issue. This includes addressing contractor liability challenges, instituting enforceable contractor training and certification and government-approved best management practices, establishing and funding a provincial stakeholder advisory committee to advise on the best courses of action to protect freshwater ecosystems and drinking water from the impacts of salt pollution. The Ontario Salt Pollution Coalition is bringing together environmentalists, industry professionals, and politicians to get provincial action on salt pollution. Members of the coalition attended a media event at Queen’s Park recently to raise awareness  of the issue. Cut the Salt! There are a variety of ways to reduce salt use while keeping people safe. For example, physical alternatives such as requiring the use of winter tires, increased plowing, or non-toxic alternatives to salt. Meanwhile, addressing liability issues would prevent over-salting. You can learn more at the Ontario Salt Pollution Coalition  website and the Watersheds Canada  website.

Bull Trout, the provincial fish of Alberta, are a key fish in streams across the mountains and foothills. Historically, these fish were abundant across western Alberta, but this iconic fish is on the decline.  Bull Trout were assessed as threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) in 2012, and continue to face challenges in recovery. Several factors contribute to the decline of Bull Trout in the province. Habitat fragmentation from dams, culverts and weirs causes range contractions and population declines. Mining, unmanaged grazing, agriculture, forestry, and recreational development are damaging and destroying habitats by changing stream flow, increasing sediment in the creek, and warming water temperatures. Additionally, because Bull Trout grow and mature slowly, they are susceptible to population declines due to competition with non-native fish species, including Brook Trout. A Bull Trout Habitat rehabilitation and removal of non-native fish play important roles in the conservation of Bull Trout, but additional tools are needed to support rapidly declining populations of this species. Freshwater Conservation Canada and our partners are exploring conservation translocation to expand the range of threatened Bull Trout. Translocation is the intentional movement of a species and is often used to return individuals to areas where they were historically lost. In this case, we’re exploring the possibility of translocating Bull Trout upstream of an otherwise impassable waterfall, where suitable habitats and fewer threats are available. This would immediately expand the area occupied by the given population, providing them with additional habitat and a higher chance of persistence. The pilot site for this restoration technique is Fall Creek.  Fall Creek is a tributary of the Ram River, and the downstream sections of this creek are in Bull Trout’s native range and provide important spawning habitat for Bull Trout. An impassable waterfall separates the upstream and downstream sections of Fall Creek, and Bull Trout are not found above the waterfall. An introduced population of Cutthroat Trout is established upstream of the falls, suggesting quality salmonid habitat exists. Translocating Bull Trout to the upper section of the creek would increase the population’s range into habitat that is expected to remain thermally suitable in the future. Before translocation, careful planning is underway with a multi-partner project team to review environmental factors, risks, and existing guidelines. The waterfall that separates Upper and Lower Fall Creek In 2018, Freshwater Conservation Canada worked with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas to decommission off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails and to rehabilitate the banks of the fords where the trail crossed the creek. Fords were rehabilitated above and below the waterfall, with over 50 crossings rehabilitated in total. This was an important step in maintaining both current and future Bull Trout habitat. In the early summer of 2025, we began monitoring temperatures above the waterfall. We placed 14 temperature loggers along a 10 km stretch above the falls.  Determining creek temperature is critical for the future of Bull Trout translocations in Alberta, which need cold water and are rarely found in creeks warmer than 15°C. Results of the stream temperature analysis can be found here . When we return in the spring to download the data, we will have a full year of temperature information for the upper section of the creek. If conditions look promising, Bull Trout may be translocated to upper Fall Creek as early as summer 2026! Deploying temperature loggers in Upper Fall Creek We are grateful to partner with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, the Alberta Conservation Association, fRI Research, and the University of Calgary on this project. This work is made possible thanks to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund, the Forest Resources Improvement Association of Alberta’s Forest Resource Improvement Program and Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Nature Legacy Fund. We will be continuing work in Fall Creek over the coming years, so stay tuned for more project updates!

Beaver Creek is located in the Porcupine Hills, where the foothills meet the Rocky Mountains, a beautiful ecosystem that supports fish, wildlife and recreation. A portion of this creek is located within a Public Land Use Zone (PLUZ), where recreators enjoy hunting, fishing and off-roading. Outside of the PLUZ, Beaver Creek supports ranching and agriculture, and many families have lived along its reaches for decades. This watershed is also important for native fish, as it contains critical habitat for some of the easternmost populations of unhybridized Westslope Cutthroat Trout. These fish are one of four native trout species in Alberta, and are threatened by habitat degradation, introduced species and warming waters. Activities along Beaver Creek, both within and outside the PLUZ, have degraded riparian and stream habitat, further threatening Westslope Cutthroat Trout in the region. A Westslope Cutthroat Trout in Beaver Creek Freshwater Conservation Canada is working with partners and landowners to address this degradation on public and private lands. In 2022, we contracted AJM Environmental Inc. to assess habitat conditions and identify suitable areas for restoration work. 35 sites were identified, and in June 2024, we visited them to assess their current conditions and prepare for future work in the region. In 2024, we hosted a meeting in partnership with the Beaver Creek Watershed Group (BCWG), ALUS and Cows and Fish. At this meeting, each group presented to several landowners in the region on their work and the watershed's condition. We received inquiries from landowners after this meeting, expressing interest in restoration work on their properties; many have witnessed the decline in stream health firsthand. Our first restoration workday took place in November on a property where one landowner has been fighting infestations of burdock, an invasive plant, since she bought it in the 90s. The group removed 4 large garbage bags of burdock and examined additional sites for future restoration efforts. In one corner of the property, there was riparian damage from cattle watering in the creek, but we were pleased to see that the rest of the creek was relatively healthy and had significant beaver activity. The burdock we removed, and some good-looking beaver dams along Beaver Creek! In early 2025, we held a second meeting with landowners to discuss potential rehabilitation areas along Beaver Creek. We heard lots of great ideas for future efforts and have created a list of projects to tackle when time allows. Later in the year, we surveyed 4 locations along beaver creek for Westslope Cutthroat Trout and found the threatened trout at each site! We collected a small tissue sample from the larger fish to be sent for genetic analysis. Since Westslope Cutthroat Trout can breed with introduced Rainbow Trout, determining the extent of hybridization is important when creating conservation plans for the species. We also tackled the first big rehabilitation site in September, where we replaced a bridge on one of the off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails. The old bridge was too narrow and placed inconveniently on the creek, so many OHV users were driving through the creek, which is critical Westslope Cutthroat Trout habitat. The new bridge is wider and was installed over the previous ford to deter future trail users from driving in the creek. We also planted along the decommissioned section of trail to promote regrowth. With Cows and Fish, we planted 85 willows and shrubs planted to bolster the riparian area! The old Beaver Creek bridge and ford in 2024 (Photo Credit: Matt Wallace) The new Beaver Creek bridge that was installed in 2025 This conservation work is most impactful when paired with responsible recreation. If you recreate in the PLUZ please stay on designated off-highway vehicle trails and follow responsible angling practices to give the trout in Beaver Creek a fighting chance! Our rehabilitation work in Beaver Creek is made possible thanks to a Fisheries and Oceans Canada Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) grant and the Government of Alberta’s Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program (WRRP). We are grateful to partner with Cows and Fish (Riparian Management Society) and the Oldman Watershed Council on this project. The Beaver Creek Watershed Group has also been a vital resource for bringing together and informing the local community. Freshwater Conservation Canada plans to continue to rehabilitation work in Beaver Creek in 2026 and will be hosting workdays for these projects so keep an eye on our Eventbrite if you want to get involved!

Bull Trout What’s in a name?-Westslope Cutthroat Trout – what an odd name for a species found on both sides of the continental divide. So how did the Westslope Cutthroat Trout get its name and what is the background behind some other North American fish names? Westslope Cutthroat Trout likely got their common name because they were first described by settlers on the western side of the continental divide. The first written description of Westslope Cutthroat Trout dates back to a Lewis and Clark expedition through the Great Falls of the Missouri River in 1805. Thirty years after the Lewis and Clark expedition, Sir John Richardson wrote a book on the zoology and fish of British Columbia, providing the first scientific name for cutthroat trout, Salmo clarkii, after William Clark. Throughout the years the scientific name underwent some minor changes as it became apparent that there were multiple subspecies of cutthroat trout. In 1989, morphological studies by Smith & Stearley showed that Westslope Cutthroat Trout were more closely related to Pacific salmon than Atlantic salmon and the name was changed to the one we currently use Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi. Another fish with an unusual name is the Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma). The name “Dolly Varden” comes from a fashion trend in the 1870s that consisted of a brightly patterned dress with an overskirt. How did the clothing get its name? – It came from a character in Charles Dicken’s novel Barnaby Ridge. Up until 1978, Dolly Varden and Bull Trout were thought to be the same species. It was only after Cavender (1978) identified some morphological and geographical differences that the two species were determined to be distinct. The first fish called a Dolly Varden was likely what we now call a Bull Trout. Brook Trout Brook Trout have an expansive array of common names. They have been referred to as Speckled Trout, Lord-fish, Square-tail, Mud Trout, and others. Migratory populations in Lake Superior are also called Coaster Brook Trout or just Coasters and some sea-run populations are also called Salters. The issue with common names is that they are not universal. To further complicate matters, Brook Trout, Bull Trout, and Lake Trout may have “Trout” in their common name however, they are actually char (genus Salvelinus). True trout have teeth in the roof of the mouth, black spots and tend to have larger scales. However, we still use “trout” in the common name of some of these species that are technically not trout. Not only can common names cause confusion between species, but there can also be issues across language. Scientific names, on the other hand, are unique to a species and universal across languages. The first word in the scientific name refers to the genus and second, is the species (sometimes a third will be included to indicate subspecies). This naming code method is called Binomial Nomenclature and it’s been around since the 1600s but it was not widely adopted until Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist adopted it and named over 10,000 species. Generally, the scientific name can be relied upon to be the accurate name for a species but even that can change as new information is gained. For example, relatively new genetic tools have allowed scientists to better classify how different populations are related which sometimes results in re-classifying or re-naming a population. For example, Mountain Suckers in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan were previously known by the scientific name Catostomus platyrhynchus but are now known as Plains Suckers (Pantosteus jordani) and their populations in British Columbia are now known as Cordilleran Sucker (Pantosteus bondi). So, next time you catch a fish you may wonder where the name came from. Chances are there is a story behind it! Works Cited Behnke, R. (2002). Trout and Salmon of North America. New York: Simon & Schuster Inc. Cavender, T. (1978). Taxonomy and distribution of the bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus, from the American Northwest. California Fish and Game, 64, 137-174. Moyle, P. B. (1976). Inland Fishes of California. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. Richardson, J. (1836). Fauna boreali-americana; or the zoology of the northern parts of British America. Longdon. Smith, G. R., & Stearley, R. F. (1989). The classification and scientific names of rainbow and cutthroat trouts. Fisheries, 14. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. (2019). Westslope Cutthroat Trout. Retrieved from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/oncorhynchus-clarki-lewisi#locations Young, M. K., McKelvey, K. S., Jennings, T., Carter, K., Cronn, R., Keeley, E. R., . . . Schwartz, M. K. (2018). The Phylogeography of Westslope Cutthroat Trout. The phylogeography of westslope cutthroat trout. Pages 261-301 in Trotter P, Bisson P, Schultz L, Roper B (editors). Cutthroat Trout: Evolutionary Biology and Taxonomy. Special Publication 36, American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.

TUC launches its first educational program, Yellow Fish Road™ The Yellow Fish Road Program is designed to educate youth about water and their watersheds, linking learning to action with the storm drain painting project in their own communities. Our bright “Yellow Fish” with the words “Rainwater Only”  reminds people that what goes down the storm drain from their homes, goes directly to the river untreated, affecting all life in the water and ultimately us. To learn more, visit our shop