| |
Ontario's
Watershed
|
Rouge
River
|
Closer Look Index
|
Accomplishments
to Date
|
|
Much
of the project has involved narrowing and deepening the streams
inside the existing amour stone channel, thereby increasing
water velocity and lowering water temperatures. Habitat structures
installed in the streams have provided shelter for aquatic
animals. Structures built to achieve these goals include,
but are not restricted to, plunge pools, log deflectors, riffles,
cover structures, rock vortex weirs and small fishways. Another
stage of the project involved lining the altered channels
with new substrate composed of small field stones, gravel
and sand. This helped to restore fish and insect habitat to
the stream bottom. |
|
|
Drop
structures found along the many reaches of Rouge B are a
major impediment to fish movement. In order to rectify this
problem, a series of step pools were installed to allow
fish passage. Two brook trout spawning beds were constructed
in Rouge B, with careful consideration of the two requirements
for successful spawning:
- suitable
substrate (gravel)
- the
upwelling of groundwater through the substrate (via perforated
pipes).
|
|
|
Debris
and garbage in the streams were removed, particularly where
blockages occurred. Since 1996, a total of 250 bags of garbage
have been removed. |
|
|
Rehabilitation
has also been conducted along the riparian corridor. Approximately
200 purple loosetrife stems have been removed and over 300
flowering stems broken. Riparian plantings were undertaken,
resulting in the addition of over 1400 trees to the streambanks.
Cavity nesting boxes for birds were installed and further
restoration of 150 meters of stream corridor has resulted
in the establishment of a no-mow zone. |
|
|
Fish
and invertebrate transfers have led to the addition of such
species as rainbow trout, blacknose dace, motted sculpin,
isopods and caddisflies to the headwater streams. Furthermore,
300 Atlantic salmon fry were released, as well as 6400 incubating
Atlantic salmon eggs.
These
fresh water turtles were also found in the Rouge River.
|
|
|
The
project has also served to heighten community awareness and
involvement. Interpretative signs have been erected in two
local parks to highlight the habitat improvements being done
and five volunteer days were held from 1996 to 1998, for a
total of 555 volunteer hours. Presentations were also made
at the local public schools to inform the students of the
importance of streams in their community. |
|
|
|
