Restoring and enhancing coldwater fish habitat in the Smoky Headwaters by mitigating sediment delivery and enhancing riparian shading.

Smoky Headwaters Initiative

Thanks to our Funders!

Thanks to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada for provided funding towards this project through the Habitat Stewardship Program for Aquatic Species at Risk.

Thanks to Alberta Conservation Association for providing funding through their Conservation, Community and Education Grants.

We are excited to begin a new project in the Smoky Headwaters. Every watershed has a headwaters and the Smoky River's are in the Grande Cache Vicinity.

This is initiative is going to look at reducing threats to coldwater fish, think Arctic Grayling (Thymallus arcticus) and Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus), habitat. These coldwater species are often at risk.

Fish	Latin name	Provincial status	Federal status
Arctic grayling	Thymallus arcticus	May be at risk	High priority candidate
Bull Trout	Salvelinus confluentus	At risk	Special Concern

Our State of the Watershed identified the Smoky Headwaters as both critical fish habitat, ranked by fisheries because of important spawning habitat, and an area where Arctic Grayling were not as impacted as other places.

So we are going to focus on the Smoky headwaters for this important work of restoring coldwater (species at risk) fish habitat.