Stabilized Fording Sites
Since crop and pasture lands often straddle watercourses, providing safe crossings for livestock and equipment with reduced potential for negative water quality effects is critical. Additionally, watering livestock at rivers is often the only practical option for agricultural producers. The KWRC has used stable fording sites as both watering locations for livestock as well as crossings for farm equipment. The approaches are properly aligned and hardened, and the stream bottom is stabilized with hard rock to prevent erosion and rutting. Since 1994 the KWRC has installed 85 stabilized fording sites in the watershed.
Kennebecasis Watershed Restoration Committee
Worth Wading Into
Fish Population Monitoring
In 1994 when the initial habitat assessment was carried out, fish population monitoring was part of that report. Since then the KWRC has continued to keep track of fish populations in the area and created a no kill zone that runs from Portage Vale to McCully Station road. In the summer of 2008 and 2009 electrofishing was carried out in key areas of the watershed to re-assess fish numbers, size, and species. This resulted in a report on Brook trout in our system. The KWRC will continue to monitor fish health and populations when resources are available. Currently, thanks to a partnership with PotashCorp we are conducting field work which will add data to our understanding of the various fish and populations within our watershed.
How you can help
If you're an angler who frequents the Kennebecasis you can help by reporting your catch. We have an online creel census you can fill out. We use this information to estimate angling effort, catch rates, and population health for various species. This information helps us when we discuss management strategies with the Department of Natural Resources or Fisheries and Oceans.
KWRC staff measure a salmon parr during a fish assessment exercise
Catch and Release Only Zone
From McCully Station road through to Portage Vale, the KWRC has established a "no kill" or catch and release only zone.
Zones like these are extremely valuable to the health of our watershed and our fish populations. Catch and release zones allow anglers to enjoy our waterways, while ensuring that fish populations are kept stable.
When fishing in this area, be a responsible angler and abide by the catch and release zone.