Beaver dams are known barriers to adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) migrating upstream to spawn, blocking access to habitat in the upper reaches of brooks and streams. Female salmon have been observed below beaver dams in large numbers. These females are then forced to build multiple redds in confined areas of the stream, often with a habitat of lower quality than would otherwise be available above beaver dams. The survival of eggs in these crowded, overlapping redds is severely reduced and can negatively impact juvenile salmon production within the stream. Upstream areas of brooks and streams are often excellent spawning and juvenile habitat with a high percentage of gravel and cobble substrates, cold ground-fed …

In the Southwest Miramichi basin, 48 dams were initially breached by the field crew on seven tributaries: Betts Mills Brook, Big Hole Brook, Muzzeroll Brook, Otter Brook, Sabbies Brook, Salmon Brook, and Six Mile Brook (Figure 1). Dams on Betts Mills Brook had to be breached on multiple occasions after beavers repaired them. A total of 6 dams were breached (or notched) repeatedly in 2021 on Betts Mills Brook. All dams breached were recorded with names and GPS locations (Table 1). ...

In the Northwest Miramichi basin, 4 dams were initially breached by the field crew on two tributaries – Little River and the Northwest Millstream (Figure 1). In the Southwest Miramichi basin, 11 dams were initially breached by field crews on 6 tributaries (Big Hole Brook, Betts Mills Brook, Porter Brook, Salmon Brook, the Bartholomew, Gordon Brook) (Figure 2). Figure 1: Tributaries of the Northwest Miramichi watershed. Beaver dams breached in 2018 are marked.  Dams on Big Hole Brook, Betts Mills Brook, Salmon Brook, and Little River had to be breached on multiple occasions after beavers repaired them. A total of 16 dams were initially breached in 2018 (Appendix 1). The Miramichi watershed has a large number of tributaries with ...

In the Northwest Miramichi basin, 4 dams were initially breached by field crews on three tributaries – the Sevogle, the north branch of the Sevogle, and the Northwest Millstream (Figure 1). In the Southwest Miramichi basin, 39 dams were initially breached by field crews on 10 tributaries (Big Hole Brook, Betts Mills Brook, Rocky Brook, Porter Brook, Sabbies River, Six Mile Brook, Salmon Brook, Muzzeroll Brook, Otter Brook, and the Main Cains) (Figure 2 a&b). Dams on Big Hole Brook, Betts Mills Brook, Rocky Brook, Sabbies River, Six Mile Brook, Salmon Brook, and the north branch of the Northwest River had to be breached on multiple occasions after beavers repaired them. A total of 43 dams were initially breached in 2017. ...

In the Northwest Miramichi basin, 22 dams were breached by field crews on two tributaries – Little River and the north branch of the Northwest River (Figure 1). In the Southwest Miramichi basin, 54 dams were breached by field crews on 11 tributaries (Bartholomew River, Big Hole Brook, Betts Mills Brook, Rocky Brook, Porter Brook, Sabbies River, Six Mile Brook, Gordon Brook, Little Teague Brook, Clearwater Brook, and Elliott Brook) (Figure 2 a&b). Dams on Gordon Brook, Porter Brook, Big Hole Brook, Rocky Brook, Little Teague Brook, Sabbies River, and the north branch of the Northwest River had to be breached on multiple occasions after beavers repaired them. A total of 76 dams were breached in 2016 (Appendix 1). The ...

In the Northwest Miramichi basin, eight dams were breached by field crews on two tributaries – Little River and the upper Northwest Millstream. On the Little Sevogle River and lower Northwest Millstream, a total of five dams were observed, but they were washed out and required no further breaching (Figure 1). In the Southwest Miramichi basin, 27 dams were breached by field crews on eight tributaries (Bartholomew River, Big Hole Brook, Betts Mills Brook, Salmon Brook, Porter Brook, Big Teague, Little Teague, and Elliott Brook). A further 15 dams were observed on the Bartholomew River, Big Hole Brook, Muzzeroll Brook, Betts Mills Brook, and the East Sabbies River, but these too were washed out and required no ...

In the Northwest Miramichi basin, a total of 28 beaver dams were breached on four tributaries - Little River, the North Sevogle, Little Sevogle, and the Northwest Millstream (Fig. 1). In the Southwest system, beaver dam work was carried out on 21 tributaries and 139 dams were breached (Fig. 2a&b). An additional 14 dams in the Southwest basin were breached on second and third occasions. No dams on the Northwest system were breached a second time. A total of 167 beaver dams were breached in 2014 on 25 tributaries throughout the Miramichi watershed. The Miramichi watershed has a large number of tributaries with beaver dam activities, more than would be possible for field crews to remove in the scope of ...

The first reconnaissance flight for beaver dams was taken September 18th, 2013. During the flight it was determined that water levels within in the river system were too high to allow for high accuracy location of beaver ponds. After water levels subsided to more manageable levels, fixed wing flights were undertaken September 30th and October 1st, and a helicopter flight October 5th, 2013.  Beaver dam management initiated October 12th and continued until October 29th, 2013. In the Northwest Miramichi basin 7 tributaries (Fig. 1) were worked on, removing a total of 34 beaver dams. Five of these tributaries including the Northwest Millstream, Catamaran Brook, Little River, Little Sevogle, and Sheephouse Brook ...

The 2012 beaver dam removal and notching project was commenced on September 24 and ran through October 26; although, two beaver dams at the mouth of McKenzie Brook had been identified, removed, and reported to a nuisance trapper earlier in the summer. From Sept 24-Sept 30, two beaver dams in Porter Brook, ten beaver dams in Betts Mills Brook, and six beaver dams in Big Hole Brook had been removed and the dam locations were reported to a nuisance trapper. However, during the beaver dam notching time period in the Cains River (Oct 1-26), the field-crew lost many days because of high water levels (Fig. 1). On days that the field-crew were able to canoe through the brooks, water levels had either washed-out ...

The beaver dam surveys took place in September and continued into October and removing and notching of dams took place in October.  The main stem of the Cains from Rte 123 to Shinnickburn was canoed in order to survey small brooks that were not accessible by road.  Salmon Brook was not surveyed due to issues with accessibility.  Some of the streams were difficult to canoe, due to the water depth.  In some cases the canoes were dragged downstream over 1 km before there was enough water to paddle downstream.  Many of the upper stretches of brooks, such as McKenzie Brook, were full of alders which made walking or “paddling” through them very difficult.  Weather conditions were favorable as there was ...