Nepisiguit Salmon Assessment and Enhancement 2019

The 2019 project is planned to commence with the processing of approximately 100,000 plus eyed salmon eggs from the Charlo SEC hatchery using streamside incubation boxes set up by NSA volunteers, DERD staff, and NB Power personnel at the Nepisiguit Falls hydro facility. The boxes will be filled in early May and will be monitored by NSA through to swim up fry. In June the fry will be stocked into the Nepisiguit, Gordon Meadow and Pabineau Brooks by NSA volunteers and DERD. This helps both to reduce losses to avian predators and help maintain a high percentage of MSW salmon returns. Future assessment of returns will evaluate this. The dam inventory for Gordon Meadow Brook and Pabineau Brook will be verified and breached where most important.  Where fish passage is completely blocked by active beaver dams, efforts will be made to trap beavers through funding from ASCF. A small breach may be necessary late in October to allow fish passage. All necessary permits will be obtained, including WAWA (Watercourse and Wetland Alteration Permits), and all requirements will be fulfilled.  The balance of the summer will be spent conducting electrofishing surveys of designated watercourses to build up an ongoing picture of the relationship between juveniles and returning adults, also to check on previous spawning.  NSA will do more electrofishing in Gordon Meadow and Pabineau Brook to track status of fry that we put in. This will require tracking in 2020 as well to determine if breaching of obstructions helped fish passage.  Water quality [primarily temperature and pH], predator and environmental/habitat surveys will be carried out.  Obstructions to water flow will be removed as encountered and garbage will be picked up in same manner.  Coarse woody debris will not be removed, unless it presents an obstacle to fish passage, as it contributes to in-stream habitat.  Data collection/compilation will be carried out in September and if water conditions allow [level and visibility]; spawning surveys will be carried out in late October or early November if conditions permit.

Contact: Wayne Clowater, 506-547-1884, wayne.clowater@gmail.com