Cape Breton's Magazine

Rege Sweeney, Environment Canada, Fisheries and Marine Resources: We wanted to know a complete physical description of the rivers. Start with the Cheticamp, it's the one We did first. We did a lot of hydrological work in the office • the drainage area and lengths and widths, the flow velocity, this sort of thing. Then we knew there were natural obstructions on the river that would affect fish so we had to find out where, how high • so we were dropped in by helicopter up at Cheticamp Lake. We knew that the dam would be above natural obstructions, it's already blocked off • so you don't have to worry about your salmon spawning grounds there. Now your trout are an? other factor. They are resident species up there. So we walked down the Cheticamp, measuring all these falls. There was about a 2 to 3 mile stretch it's just physical? ly impossible to walk down through so we went up to the Highlands and across the park boundary and then down. We picked out potential spawning grounds • you know, if the obstructions weren't there or could be circumvented by fish ladders this could be used by salmon. Then we did the same thing on the Indian Brook. We rafted down the West Indian. The Great Falls are the only obstruction on that whole system, but that's so close to the mouth. Great potential up there for salmon. Probably one of the best rivers in Cape Breton. Just to see it. The thing to do there • then again, this power project is going to have an effect on it because it won't be practical to do it • but let's say if before any work had been done on it...which is one thing I am knocking right now. That river should have been surveyed years ago. It's a great salmon river. If you build a fish-way around that falls • it would be expensive but it's not impossible • you stock it from above your first 2 or 3 years. Young salmon would return to the river and you'd have a resident population. According to the fish officer in Baddeck, they saw slink salmon up to the falls. It would have been a good river. You've got the one obstruction to circumvent and then you've got in both branches something like 40 miles of stream they could have been using. But vthen those dams go in you're going to lose that anyway. The West Indian Brook is going to be finished completely because the dam will be going beldw MacMillan Brook. On the main branch of Indian Brook you'll have another dam, so you're losing that as well. And Wreck Cove River has salmon, MacLeod*'s brook has salmon • these things I found out this summer. We've sampled all the rivers except the Ingonish. I shouldn't think all those rivers will be empty. Nova Scotia Power Corporation could divert all the Where Better Service Costs No More MacLeod's FINA Baddeck Complete Stationary & Office Supplies Standard Office Supplies 238 Charlotte Street 539-6333 539-6334 20 Spacious Rooms with Full Bath & Shower Sun Deck overlooks beautiful Canso Strait Color Television ,,ourFriency/j, ' Oban Motel' and Gift Shop Box 191, Port Hastings, Nova Scotia Telephone 625-1113 OPEN ALL YEAR 'ROUND HYLMD MOTORS LIHITED Your Chrysler Dealer 849-5588 McKeen Street Glace Bay We serve all of Cape Breton with a complete line of building supplies PHONE 736-9722 P.O. BOX 271 HALFWAY RD., SYDNEY MINES, N.S. Cape Breton*s Magazine/8 Moore's Electric Co. Ltd. ENTERPRISE Electric and Oil Ranges Oil Fired Heating Systems 67 Stanley St & Commercial St Phone 794-4707 Phone 794-3711 NORTH SYDNEY