Fish Habitat
Fish habitat includes the areas fish use for spawning, rearing, feeding, and migrating. The nearshore habitat of Severn Sound is a dynamic system, with substrate conditions, aquatic plant communities, and water levels that change over time. These nearshore areas are crucial for supporting a large diversity of aquatic life including many Great Lakes fish species.
CURRENT PROJECT
Port Severn Fish Spawning Habitat Enhancement Project (2026)
Building on previous work at the Bayview dam site in Port Severn (see Past Projects below), SSEA is currently leading Phase 1 of the Port Severn Fish Spawning Habitat Enhancement (FiSHE) Project, funded in part by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. The goal of the FiSHE project is to assess the feasibility of enhancements to spawning habitat for walleye (ogaa/gaa) and lake sturgeon (nme) downstream of both the Bayview and Lock 45 dams to the Highway 400 overpass (Figure 1).
This phase 1 of the FiSHE Project is a planning phase and involves outreach and working with various partners and stakeholders to collect data and multiple types of knowledge, to understand current conditions and to identify and assess opportunities for future fish habitat enhancements.
For more information, on the SSEA FiSHE Project, contact the FiSHE Project Coodinator via the:
Stewardship Team
E: stewardship@severnsound.ca
PAST PROJECTS
Port Severn Walleye Spawning Shoal Habitat Survey (2018)
SSEA’s Port Severn Walleye Spawning Shoal Habitat Survey (2018) assessed walleye (ogaa/gaa) spawning habitat below the Bayview dam near Port Severn, to inform flow management and dam operation recommendations for the Trent Severn Waterway during the fish spawning season. The area is a known spawning habitat for walleye, lake sturgeon, and other native Great Lakes fish species, and has long been an important traditional harvesting site for many Indigenous communities. There has been interest in restoring and improving fish habitat at degraded sites like this important fish spawning area.
Nearshore Fish Habitat Evaluation Project (2017)
SSEA’s Nearshore Fish Habitat Evaluation Project (2017) inventoried fish habitat conditions in selected nearshore areas of Severn Sound to help support the protection of fish habitat in the context of fluctuating water levels, and to identify opportunities for habitat enhancement.
Working In or Around Water
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