This natural fish ladder could be a future design model

Ducks Unlimited Canada is testing a new type of natural fish ladderat McCarrick's Marsh in P.E.I. that could be a design model going forward.

• Fish ladder research to be launched on P.E.I. this spring

Made with natural all-Island material, such as red sandstone and logs, the fish ladderdiffers fromthe other 58fish ladders Ducks Unlimited co-manages with P.E.I. Fish and Wildlife, most of which are made of steel and concrete built in the 1970s, explained the group's conservation program specialist Jonathan Platts.

Having smelt and gaspereau in large numbers come up into a system is very productive for the whole watershed.- Jonathan Platts

With someolder ladders, Ducks Unlimited has added steps to help small fish get from one pool of water to another. But some verysmallfish, such as smelts and gaspereau, still aren't able to climb the ladders.

"Having smelt and gaspereau in large numbers come up into a system is very productive for the whole watershed because they bring with them marine drive nutrients, which released into the watershed and helps to have the whole ecosystem flourish," Plattssaid.

Attractive to fish

The natural fish ladder looks like a typical brook, but the rocks and logs were strategically placed, by hand, to be helpful and attractive to fish.

The natural fish ladder is also about 40 per cent less expensive to build.

The McCarrick's Marsh fish ladderwas built in September 2015.

Ducks Unlimited will give the prototype another winter to see how the Island materials and the designholds up to the weather conditions, but may use the model as it replaces its otherIsland fish ladders in future.

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