RiverNotes – April 17, 2020

The rivers of Eastern North America are open, full of melted snow, and rushing out to the sea. Mother Nature and wild Atlantic salmon are not shut in like us.

Driven by longer days and warmer temperatures, kelts that have spent a winter under river ice are on the move, out to sea to break a year-long fast.

Smolt have begun their transformation from freshwater homebodies to ocean roamers. They lose colourful parr marks for a silver-blue sheen, their body shifts shape for better distance swimming, and a burst of hormones triggers smolt to turn and face downstream for the first time.

On rivers like the Miramichi, there will be no anglers casting for the kelts. For the first time since 2004, ASF and DFO will not be tagging juvenile salmon on the Restigouche. These are strange and rare days for people, but life goes on for wild Atlantic salmon.

Charles Cusson, ASF’s Director of Quebec programs writes:

“Rivers in Quebec continue their awakening in anticipation of another angling season, especially in the lower St. Lawrence and Gaspésie regions. Unless there is a change, May 4th is a date all river managers await – that is when the provincial government is scheduled to update everyone regarding the 2020 season.

“Thanks to the Cascapedia Society, Québec Sporting in Gaspé, and friends of the salmon along the Matapedia River for submitting photos this week.”

«Au Québec, les rivières du bas Saint-Laurent et de la Gaspésie continuent leurs éveils printaniers. À moins d’avis contraire, le MFFP émettra une mise à jour le 4 mai prochain sur l’état de la saison 2020 qui s’amorcera dès le mois prochain.Nous avons reçu des photos donnant un aperçu de différentes rivières cette semaine et nous remercions la Société Cascapédia, Québec Sporting et des ami(e)s du saumon de la vallée de la Matapédia.»

“The consensus in government was that people would be ‘out and about’ more if fishing were open and this is exactly what health officials are trying to avoid. Some fresh air and time on the water would be good for us all, so hopefully this restriction is short-lived and people are soon able to get out safely by respecting the rules of physical distancing, sticking with family groups, etc.”

The DFO variation order for the season delay can be found here. 

MAINE

Maranda Nemeth, ASF’s Maine Headwaters Project Manager reports on the Sheepscot River:

“We had a big rain event, about three inches, combined with a lot of snow melt this week.

“Flows reached close to 3,000 cubic feet per second, which is almost four times the annual average flow stage for the Sheepscot River. Prior to our project last year to remove a section of the old Head Tide Dam near the community of Alna, these flows would have overtopped the dam but as you can see from the pictures, water is able to move through with ease and is broken up more by the upstream enhancements and the ridged side of the concrete wall in the overlook.

“Fish are not moving yet, but we expect to see smolt migrating downstream and river herring upstream starting in May.

“These photos were taken Mike Burke of Interfluve. He was the lead engineer on this partial dam removal project and was also the lead engineer for the Coopers Mill Dam Removal project completed in 2018. He noted from the field that the flows were between a 2 and 5 year storm event stage and that the site looks great. He was excited to see how well the modification of the dam held up against these high flows, one of the first real tests since it was completed in September 2019.”

John Burrows, ASF’s Executive Director of U.S. Programs notes on the Penobscot and other rivers:

“From our conversations with state and federal agencies, we understand that fishways at hydro dams around the state will open as normal this year. Some of these sites have Maine DMR biologists on site and they will continue to be on site, though in reduced numbers due to social distancing protocols.

“Many fishways were required to be open by April 15 and river flow conditions will determine when it is safe for them to be operated. We typically begin to see fish being passed in early May.“

Kris Hunter, ASF’s Director of Nova Scotia and P.E.I. Programs wrote a blog this week after speaking to anglers, guides, and shop owners in both provinces about the delay of the recreational angling season in both provinces.

Check out Kris’s blog on the situation in Nova Scotia: Click here

Still no word on whether there will be a delay to the start of the recreational angling season in Newfoundland and Labrador, however with a June 1 opening day, there is still time.

Don Ivany, ASF’s Director of Newfoundland and Labrador Programs checked-in with a number of outfitters and lodge owners this week.

Don found that businesses with year-round clientele for winter and spring activities had seen a big drop in business, but operations that do their work in the summer and fall have not noticed a significant change.

Barb Genge, who operates Tuckamore Lodge, a four-season destination on the Northern Peninsula, has had to cancel bookings from 172 snowmobilers since March 16. Some anglers have cancelled bookings as well for later in the summer. Barb is concerned for her guides other operations nearby.