Walleye spawn in the spring for one to two weeks, depending on water temperatures, and return to the same spawning site each year which means they have high site fidelity to their spawning areas. This project consisted of placing round river stone on the bed of Scanlan Creek to restore an impaired walleye spawning bed. This work will further enhance the productivity of the walleye that spawn in Scanlan Creek and return to Wolfe Lake. By restoring this spawning bed site to a functional riffle habitat we will improve the recruitment success of spawning walleye from Wolfe Lake.
Construction Phase
Two locations measuring five metres by 10 metres were determined to be in need of augmentation with appropriately-sized river stone. Staff and volunteers installed 100 tonnes of six-inch round river stone for walleye spawning on the bed of Scanlan Creek in the fall of 2019, when water levels were lower.
What are the anticipated outcomes?
- Create a greater awareness about the threats to the local walleye population and how simple costs effective measures can improve spawning success and recruitment.
- Engage with volunteers on Wolfe Lake and in the Westport area, building enthusiasm and environmental awareness while reinforcing a strong sense of community, particularly involving youth in the hands-on element of the project, providing them a valuable learning experience and opportunity to positively impact the world around them.
- Educate lake residents on how habitat enhancement efforts can improve the local walleye fishery on the lake.
- Promote the goodwill and partnerships formed through the enhancement project.
In order to implement this project a partnership was formed between the Wolfe Lake Association (WLA), the Westport Area Outdoor Association (WAOA), the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA), Rideau Valley Conservation Foundation (RVCF), Camp IAWAH (Youth camp located on Wolfe Lake) and TD Friends of the Environment.
