In
2009 the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute (MTRI) prepared a report
for the Nova Forest Alliance and Environment Canada that identified
eleven possible sites within the Gold, Lahave and Medway watersheds
where terrestrial liming could take place (MTRI 2009). This study made
tentative conclusions about candidate sites but recommended further
data collection and analysis. This report attempts to fulfill those
recommendations.
To view the full MTRI report for this project in PDF format, click here.
The
Medway River Salmon Association has developed its own business plan to
handle this project. It is an evolving project and, as such, will
be regularly updated as new information becomes available. This
particularly relates to new information pertaining to project costs,
revenue sources and progress made in generating new partnerships.
To view the full MRSA business plan in PDF format, click here.
Both PDF documents are large. Depending on your internet link, they may take some time to download.
by William J. Daniels, St. Francis Xavier University
UPDATE 09 OCTOBER 2011
PRESIDENT DARRELL TINGLEY AND BILLY STEVENS OF ANTHONY EXCAVATION CONTEMPLATE THE TASK AT HAND
In September 10th eight
members of the Environment Committee went to Twin Bridges (Bowater
Property) and spread 28.7 ton of pelletized limestone over the 4 hectare
site. The stone was delivered a week earlier by Anthony Trucking of
Mill Village. This is part of a larger project to lime 20 hectares at
the same site.
Studies indicate if you lime land to the tune of 10 ton per hectare
you will receive a 25 year benefit to the soil and ground-water. In the
instant case the land was limed with 7 ton per hectare so the result
should be somewhat less. Liming of the land base in the Southern
Uplands, especially in Queens County, is extremely important as the
buffer zone has been diminished by Acid Rain over the past 50 years.
It had been hoped to lime the full 20 hectares, however, financial
support from the Nova Forest Alliance and N.S. Forest Products
Association was not forthcoming. This is unfortunate as the forests
stand to benefit more than the water with the increased pH. The results
of the Twin Bridges Pilot Project would have provided scientific
information for the future on large scale land based liming initiatives
in the area/province. The Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute of Kempt
has taken pH readings prior to and will monitor the results over the
next several years.
The shovel and bucket brigade, who spread the limestone, now
understand why it is recommend to aerial lime forested/woodland areas.
UPDATE 04 MAY 2011
Yesterday
saw the release of unfed fry in the upper reaches of West River. The
following note received from one of the members involved passes on
great news about the success of our liming efforts. The photos he sent
also tell some of the story.
Folks: The
release of 47,000 unfed fry yesterday went extremely smoothly. It was
not an easy task for the ten volunteers who made it
happen--canoes, unfed fry and volunteers had to be trucked into a remote
location via an ATV, from there three canoes were sent down river 4km to
release the fry in to what we thought were habitat voids. That was the
big surprize - wild atlantic salmon beat us to this area!!! While
volunteers waited for the fry to arrive, some did some trout angling
and caught smolts just below the falls on the upper end of West River!
This top 10km of West River has been void of salmon since the
1970's. The pH in this area is now 7. Finding salmon
smolts at these falls (this
is as far as salmon can travel on the West River) is huge news!!!
It
means -liming works!!!! it means we have salmon production in an area
that has been dead for 40 years!!!!! I think it's time we start making
some noise about liming. The
smolt count is also getting exciting this year; after only our first
week of counting smolts the estimate for the first week is 1875
smolts!!! and we don't expect the smolt run to peak until May 10th--and
we now know that we still have smolts 30km up river. Can you tell that I'm excited??? George Ferguson (VP, NSSA)
