ATV users driving through fragile Atlantic salmon spawning habitat, says conservation group

ATV riders are driving throughfragile Atlantic salmon habitat in Nova Scotia'sAnnapolis Valley, according to a conservation group that's working in the FalesRiverto protect the endangered species.

The area of the river near a residential subdivisionin Greenwood offers the perfect conditions for salmon to lay their eggs, and young salmon known as parr as well asbrook trout have been spotted in the area, saidKatie McLean, the program managerwith the Clean Annapolis River Project.

She said there appears to be a small number of people crossing the river on ATVs on a fairly regular basis.Staff have noticed tire tracks and a rough trail cut through the trees on private property. Last yeartheycaptured a video of three riders crossing the water.

"If there was a redd the name for a salmon nest in one of those exact locations. That's not going to fare well for the salmon eggs," McLeantold CBC Radio's Information Morning.

ATV users driving through Atlantic salmon spawning habitat in the Annapolis Valley

3 years ago

Duration 0:26

A local conservation group says a small number of ATV users are riding through a river that's important spawning habitat for Atlantic salmon (Credit: Clean Annapolis River Project).

ATVs also stir up sediment from the bottom of the river that can drift downstream and smothernests or change the water quality, she said.Her team has spent the last few years trying to restore the fish habitat by installing structures in the water and usinga process called sand wanding to remove very fine sediment from the nest areas.

"That's where it can feel particularly frustrating then to see an activity that's directly putting those sediments back into the stream," she said.

It's illegal for ATV riders to cross watercourses in Nova Scotia unless they're frozen, and theClean Annapolis River Project is working onputting up signs in the Fales River areato educate riders.

ATV group wants more enforcement

The organization is getting some help from theAll Terrain VehicleAssociation of Nova Scotia.

Executive director Barry Barnet said he doesn't believe the people who are crossing the Fales Riverare members of his association, and he wants the Department of Environment to do more to enforce the rules.

"Enforcement has been a struggle over the past year and a half, and it's unfortunately a side effect of COVID," he said.

He saidwith enforcement officers being redeployed to the border, "we've had issues not just exclusively with environmental concerns, but with ATVs riding where they shouldn't ride and parking their trucks and trailers where they shouldn't park."

Barnet saidATVANSrepresents about5,000 ATVriders who belong to 42clubs, but there are alsoanother 25,000 Nova Scotians who rideATVs andaren't part of the group.

"Quite honestly, it's frustrating for the folks who are members of our organization who do the right thing and are responsible," he said. "While they're doing that, somebody is running down the road or driving through a river, right? It puts a black eye on our sport."

The Department of Environment referred CBC's questions to theDepartment of Lands and Forestry, which said it hadn't beenaware of the situation in Greenwood and is now looking into it.

"To report an ATV/OHV violation, we encourage Nova Scotians to call 1-800-565-2224," the department said.

McLean said building a bridge over the area of the Fales Riverlikely isn't an option because there are private landowners on one side who don't want to encourage people toridethrough their property.

She added that ATVusers may not know what they're doing is illegal and harmful to the environment. That's why she believes putting up signs will help.

"We're really supportive of having well-established ATV trails because a lot of the time ATVers and other people using the outdoors are some of our more avid volunteers," McLean said."They're the eyes on the ground who recognize what's happening with wildlife and habitat."