Project partners: Ministère de l'Environnement et la Lutte contre les Changements Climatiques (MELCC, now MELCCFP), Ministère de la Faune et des Parcs (MFFP, now MELCCFP), Ministère des Transports de Québec (MTQ), McGill University

Over the last few years Freeflow has been working with multiple ministries in Québec in the scope of the St. Lawrence Action Plan to develop a robust methodology to evaluate freshwater connectivity in the watersheds of the St. Lawrence Lowlands. 

In a first phase Freeflow developed an approach focused on multiple life stages within a single species in a single watershed. The results of this analysis revealed important regions for the spawner life stage of our focal species and suggested that differing habitat needs of a single species can lead to different levels of perceived fragmentation. 

In a second phase we summarized the habitat needs of the full portfolio of freshwater fish (78 species) to a group of 9 representative species. We subsequently used these 9 species to estimate multi-species connectivity in 2 Québec watersheds. These results led to conclusions about species which are experiencing higher levels of fragementation as their required habitats are found in regions with high densities of barriers.

Our results of the first phase can be accessed here.

Our results of the second phase can be accessed here.

Project partners: Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke

DFO scientists approached Freeflow to develop a methodology to rank aquatic barriers based on their expected impact on native freshwater fish. We designed a suite of 12 aquatic connectivity indicators to capture the multiple dimensions over which a barrier can impact connectivity for different fish species: potamodromous vs anadromous and large distance migrators vs short distance. We also considered both the short term impact of barriers on single generations of fish and the long term impact over multiple generations. Finally, these indicators were calculated for different restoration scenarios. In this way, our suite of indicators would rank barriers while taking into account the uncertain future of the Chateauguay watershed. Additionally, we worked with a representative for the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke to incorporate a 13th indicator related to the cultural value of specific reaches in the watershed such that barriers which fragment these important sites are prioritized for removal or remediation.

The guide and analysis delivered to DFO can be accessed here.

Project partners: Ministère de la Faune et des Parcs (MFFP, now MELCCFP), Ministère de l'Environnement et la Lutte contre les Changements Climatiques (MELCC, now MELCCFP), Nature United, McGill University

Resolution 40-3 is an agreement between the Eastern Canadian provinces and the New England states to conserve ecological connectivity across state, provincial, and national boundaries. Freeflow was tasked, along with others, with developing a report describing all of the applied connectivity conservation projects being undertaken in this region. Following this exhaustive list of active projects we determined where there are gaps in terms of overlooked regions, ecosystems, and taxa. We concluded this report with a set of 5 recommendations for further developing connectivity conservation in this region. 

The full report can be accessed online at this link.