Wader-wearing volunteers are rehabilitating Canada's waterways.

Community volunteers in Ontario and elsewhere are restoring freshwater habitat through hands-on projects, including an improvised work barge for silt removal and the placement of new spawning substrate; these efforts have coincided with local returns of fish species and more than 45,000 volunteer hours annually supporting Ontario community hatcheries.

Community volunteers are carrying out hands-on freshwater habitat restoration to help declining fish populations. Those projects include silt removal, placement of spawning substrate, and support for community hatcheries. In one Ontario example, volunteers improvised a work barge from busted dock pieces and ratchet straps to float silt-removal equipment and a tonne of washed river stone into a walleye spawning creek. Another project involved First Nations and lake association volunteers spreading 17 tonnes of new substrate on a historic spawning bed during blizzard conditions while a local Legion opened its doors to warm and feed volunteers. Known details: - The principle expressed in these projects is simple: no habitat, no fish. - Bancroft, Ontario, volunteers improvised a work barge to carry silt-removal gear and about a tonne of washed river stone for a walleye spawning creek. - Grassroots restoration efforts are reported to have led to the immediate return of numerous fish species in some places. - More than 45,000 volunteer hours a year support community fish hatcheries in Ontario alone. - First Nations and lake association volunteers spread 17 tonnes of new substrate on a historic spawning bed, and local groups provided warmth and food for crews. Summary: Restoration work has been linked with local returns of fish species and has reinforced community bonds through shared effort. Undetermined at this time.