The rain on April 22 didn’t dampen the spirits of a group of local residents gathered to celebrate the installation of a new fish culvert in the Little Beaver River.
A special ribbon cutting ceremony for the new culvert was held on April 22 on the Georgian Trail.
The fish culvert was funded and installed by the Beaver River Watershed Initiative to help increase the diversity of fish species in the Little Beaver River by allowing the movement of fish to access spawning beds and habitats throughout the watershed. The new culvert will allow fish movement through the area for the first time since 1872.
A commemorative sign is on the bridge over the river that explains the project to passers by.
The sign reads, in part: “The fish culvert is an artificial stream bed that facilitates the passage of fish through steep culverts and over obstacles such as this small dam by slowing flow velocity and maintaining a series of deep resting pools.”
The Blue Mountains Mayor Andrea Matrosovs attended the official ribbon cutting and thanked the volunteers for their efforts to make the project possible.
“I would like to thank our local Beaver River Watershed Initiative volunteers and their partners for their work on this project,” said Matrosovs. “Sharing in the stewardship of the environment is a priority for the town and their work is essential in meeting that goal.”
The project was five years in the making and had a budget of approximately $55,000.
“This wouldn’t have happened without the support of the community,” said Brad Mulligan, member of the Beaver River Watershed Initiative.
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