Papineau Weir Monitoring Project

In 2015 the Papineau lake dam was converted into a weir to improve fish access and aquatic habitats. A weir is a low dam structure used to locally modify the hydraulic characteristics of rivers. They can be used to increase the availability of quality habitats for fish reproduction, foraging, and spawning by facilitating fish passage while still maintaining water levels. This weir will improve the physical and chemical condition of the river for fish spawning and circulation in terms of ideal flow rates, water depths, oxygenation and habitat diversity. The goals of this project include: 1) allow fish movement between the Kinonge River and Papineau Lake, 2) improve spawning grounds, 3) increase the number of fish that return to Papineau Lake and 4) improve fish circulation and sustainability. In order to monitor the success of the weir in maintaining water levels a probe has been installed above the weir that measures water depth hourly throughout the year. Comparisons between water level fluctuations before and after the weir installation will allow Kenauk to monitor the effectiveness of the weir as well as contribute to the overall monitoring of the Kinonge watershed.

Results in the Kenauk Institute annual report