Busy and productive year for the Pictou County Rivers Association

Contributed by Roy Parker
It has been another busy year for the Pictou County Rivers Association (PCRA). 
This past summer, we had two students from early June until the end of August. Emma Cameron returned for her third summer and she was joined by Alex Pitts. Emma is now back to school at Dalhousie Agricultural Campus in Truro studying environmental science while Alex has returned to the Maritime College of Forest Technology in Fredericton.
On March 20, PCRA volunteers delivered Atlantic salmon eggs to elementary schools across the county. In 2019, we had 16 temperature-controlled aquariums in 13 different schools. The students look after the fish tanks and watch as the eggs develop and hatch. Once the newly hatched alevins have absorbed their yolk sacs, students begin to feed the fish. In early June, students take their Atlantic salmon fry to Salt Springs Provincial Park where they release the fish into the West River. In 2019, 2,600 salmon fry were released. The adult brood stock for this project are captured in the fall through angling by PCRA members.
Over the past decade, the PCRA has installed about 250 in-stream structures (digger logs, bank deflectors, bank stabilizers) in brooks across the county. In 2019, students were assigned to find the previously installed structures and assess their condition. Those located were photographed, had their location verified by GPS and entered into a database. Students carried out maintenance and minor repairs where required but those requiring major repairs were noted for future work. This updated information should make planning for future fish habitat restoration projects better organized and more comprehensive. 
The West River originates in the Mount Thom area and flows north through Salt Springs, Central West River and Durham before entering Pictou Harbour in Lyons Brook. A section of badly eroded river bank in the Salt Springs Provincial Park was identified by PCRA members in the fall of 2017. The need for bank stabilization along a 65 metre (200 feet) section was confirmed with staff from the Nova Scotia Salmon Association and a plan was put in place to carry out that work in 2019. Local contractor, Hans Rauh and Sons Construction carried out the bank stabilization work. The work was completed over three days in mid-August. A total of 400 tonnes of armour stone was delivered to the site and placed along the eroded section of river bank using a tracked excavator. Following the machine work, grass seed was planted along the areas of disturbed ground. In late September, volunteers from the PCRA will plant trees along the repaired river bank.
PCRA also held two fishing derbies in 2019 – the 12th annual Winter Ice Fishing Derby at Gairloch Lake on Feb. 16 and the 21st annual Children’s Fisherama in Trenton Park on the Victoria Day weekend in May. Both events were well attended and participants were awarded prizes for the largest fish caught.
Further information can be found at www.pictoucountyrivers.com or by visiting their Facebook page.