Assessment of Atlantic salmon recruitment prior to the restoration of river processes

Description: Log drive activities linearized and leveled several areas of Escoumins River. If wood transportation accelerated, substrate generally became too coarse for Atlantic salmon spawning. Also, the shallow depth of the river pools provides very few thermal refuges for salmon. This is why since 2019, OBVHCN has partnered with a UQAC professor-researcher, Maxime Boivin, to eventually restore hydrogeomorphology processes in Escoumins River (the year has yet to be determined). This project will characterize biological aspects, that is collect Atlantic salmon on the river before restoring the natural processes. Just like in 2022, OBVHCN’s goal is to develop several electric fishing stations to obtain a portrait of juvenile salmon population. The condition of the population before and after the work can then be compared. Furthermore, this new picture will help locate and protect the salmon nesting sites which are to this day unknown on Escoumins River. For 2024, benthic sampling stations will be installed at strategic places to correlate the abundance of food with that of juveniles.