Subwatershed Management Planning

To address the issues leading to ecological impairment in the Annapolis River watershed, CARP is targeting smaller, sub-watershed management units. Sub-watershed management plans guide future implementation of restoration and habitat enhancement actions, and allow priority sub-watersheds to be targeted.

Data collected from in-field monitoring and assessments is compiled, along with other background information acquired from literature reviews and surveys of available geo-spatial information. This information, combined with local ecological knowledge, provides a starting point for prioritizing areas for restoration activities.

A watershed is an area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall to a common outlet such as the outflow of a reservoir, mouth of a bay, or any point along a stream channel. The word watershed is sometimes used interchangeably with drainage basin or catchment. Watersheds are broken down into smaller geographic units called subwatersheds.

Sub-watershed plans are working documents that will receive continuous updates as more information becomes available, and as restoration actions are completed.

CARP has completed sub-watershed plans for the Nictaux, Black River and Moose River subwatersheds, and is currently in the process of developing plans for the Round Hill River and Fales River subwatersheds.

Nictaux River Sub-watershed

Implementation of restoration actions for the Nictaux River have included:

removing debris causing culvert blockages
construction of tailwater control structures to improve water levels in perched culverts
repairing in-stream rock weir structures in order to improve habitat complexity
adding boulder clusters to streams to increase in-stream habitat complexity
planting in riparian areas to reduce runoff and erosion into streams
completion of adjustment work on three of the rock structures where reconstruction work began in 2014,
the reconstruction and bolstering of three additional new weirs
installation of four deflector weirs
installation of a double digger log downstream of the rock weirs

2020-2021 Activities

The Fales River and Round Hill River, not unlike many rivers in the Annapolis River watershed, are greatly affected by human alteration and land-use changes within their sub-watersheds and as a result, ideal in-stream fish habitat is lost through channel modification, sedimentation, and alterations to water quality. The Clean Annapolis River Project (CARP) has undertaken aquatic habitat connectivity assessment and restoration actions on both of these rivers in the past, including the installation of restoration structures and assessments of major road watercourse crossings for fish passage. In the late 1990’s, CARP installed various structures along the Fales River and Round Hill River to enhance the physical characteristics of the watercourses, stabilize the banks to allow for re-establishment of riparian buffer zones and encourage salmonid spawning and rearing within the river. In recent years it was determined that many of these structures were too small and spaced too close together to be effective. CARP’s recent work in these rivers has been focused on removing, updating, and/or re-installing structures that are better suited for the layout of the river.

4 log deflectors were installed on the Round Hill River to concentrate and redirect flow Each structure restored an area of 780 m2 for a total of 3120 m2 of fish habitat restored
a total of 20 Habitat Suitability Index assessments were completed along the Fales River, Round Hill River, Roxbury Brook, Gibson Brook, and East and West Branch Round Hill Rivers
18 sediment traps were installed and monitored on the Fales River. Sediment trap contents were collected and measured on a weekly basis from May 26 to August 10, 2021. Two of the highest sediment input sources identified were located downstream of a recently developed lot and site where ATV’s cross the Fales River
CARP and project partners piloted a volunteer-based, citizen science angling program that will allows for ongoing monitoring and potential early detection of aquatic invasive species
in-field site tours were conducted at the Fales River and Round Hill River to school groups and community members. Additionally, a total of 7 in-class presentations have been delivered
A brochure was created outlining the best practices for off-highway vehicle (OHV) use near watercourses, as well as the negative impacts posed to fish habitat when OHVs are driven directly through a river or stream

In 2016 the Moose River, Annapolis Co., was one of the priority subwatersheds that CARP focused on. This system provides high-quality habitat for salmonids; local anglers still report observations of Atlantic salmon and sea-run brook trout.