Streambank Stabilization at Key Locations on the Bonaparte River

Under the proposed project 8 high priority streambank and riparian area restoration sites were to be completed in the Bonaparte River Watershed. Improving fish habitat for coho and other salmonids at these key sites is the primary goal, but the sites will also be used as part of a plan by the Bonaparte Watershed Stewardship Society to help improve human behaviours by encouraging individual actions that support fish, fish habitat and ecosystem health. During the past several years the Bonaparte Watershed Stewardship Society has undertaken a series of individual restoration site priorities, partnering with DFO, other funders, and landowners on a site by site basis. Demonstrating the river restoration process locally through these individual site restoration projects has not only helped to restore some key salmon habitat locations but it has also helped in establishing a level of local interest. The Bonaparte Watershed Stewardship Society is currently undertaking a watershed planning process (WFSP) to expand partnerships, education and awareness and to establish a watershed wide sustainability plan. The watershed planning process is going well, and to date has included numerous references to past restoration work as tangible examples of how past land use practices and human behaviour can be changed to provide for fish sustainability and all that fish sustainability represents in terms of watershed sustainability. Restoration activity has been named by the current planning group as an important activity to continue with, while other important watershed sustainability recommendations are being identified. The restoration projects that the BWSS has implemented through this funding and subsequent years funding are very much on the ground developments that require basic materials such as rocks and trees along with the construction machinery to complete. In order to stretch our dollar we have become very efficient at keeping the cost per meter of restored streambank down through partnerships with landowners, local governments and local industries to maximaize the value of FSWP partnership funds. Combined linear streambank restored with these projects equalled 635 meters at an overall cost of $40,000.00 or $ 62.99 FSWP dollars per liner meter . The initial budget for this project had a in-kind contribution of $45,240. DFO was able to contribute an additional $10,654 in inkind labour and cash to bring the total project budget from $85,240 to $95,893. This additional capital is what enabled the mapping of the GPS sites, the 1 additional streambank site and the off-channel water station to be constructed. A leverage ratio of 2.4 occurred as a result of the initial $40,000 invested by the FSWP during this project.