September 2025
This summer we are happy to report that we completed a project to improve the natural fish passage structure put in at Stordy’s Pond a few years ago. Locals may be familiar with this location and pond, which goes by several different names. This is also the site of one of our nature parks, and a nice fishing spot for trout. Each spring, Forest, Fish and Wildlife PEI has received calls about fish kills at this location as smelt struggle to make it upstream. The entrance to the fish passage structure funneled water through very quickly and over a significant drop which made it unappealing for smelt to swim up and potentially too hard for their swimming strength. When we consulted Rosie MacFarlane of Forest, Fish and Wildlife, she suggested addressing this problem by constructing rock pools to serve three main functions. First, slowing the water coming out of the fish passage to a speed that smaller, weaker fish can swim up. Second, by spreading out the height difference, the jumps become smaller and more accessible to smelt and other small fish. And third, to block off the slower-moving channel at the foot of the fish passage which ultimately led to the old dam structure that prevents them from moving upstream.Constructing these two pools required rocks larger than we would be able to move ourselves, so we hired a contractor to bring in and position different sizes of rocks, some larger to support the foundation of the pools, and some smaller to allow water to filter through without allowing fish up the alternative channel. After a few days of work in the stream, with all appropriate precautions taken to reduce sediment entering the stream, the pools were completed! Forest, Fish and Wildlife helped us to complete a fish rescue of those fish stuck in the cut-off channel and we released them back into the main channel. We even found two nine-spine sticklebacks which are much less common than their three- and four-spine counterparts!We are very happy with the outcome of this project, and so are the generous people from the Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund. Along with the fish passage restoration, we are hoping to spend next summer bringing more attention to fish and the Westmoreland River Nature Park. Look out for a possible fishing day at Stordy’s Pond in late May, and if you are in the park and wondering why things look a bit different, now you know. We are looking forward to seeing the results of this project in the spring, hopefully increasing fish passage up into the east branch of the Westmoreland River.
