South Nation Conservation and Carleton University in Ottawa are partnering on two notable projects:

To help fish bi-pass a dam on Indian Creek, SNC constructed a fishway in 2006 on this tributary of the South Nation River, west of Spencerville. Fishways are ladder-like structures that fish swim through and leap up into waters on the other side of an artificial barrier. SNC’s post-construction monitoring of the passage over two springs did not determine if the fish could navigate through.  Dr. Steven Cooke, a Carleton professor and world renowned fish passage expert, and his students, are partnering with SNC on the Indian Creek Fishway project to help measure the success of the passage. The Carleton team devised a test to determine how many potential fish migrants could not locate the entrance to fishway, or failed to ascend the fishway.  Learn more about the Indian Creek Fishway project here.

The Alfred Bog is the largest high-quality, peat bog in Southern Ontario. To determine the impact that extensive drainage surrounding the Bog is having on this wetland, SNC is partnering with Carleton experts to undertake an in-depth hydrological study.  This project is in progress, with a goal of obtaining preliminary results by fall 2014.