Adopt a Stream

Supporting Community Stewardship and Aquatic Habitat Restoration

Our projects involve many hands, doing important work.

The NSSA Adopt A Stream program provides funding and technical support to help community volunteer organizations undertake projects to protect, repair, and improve the aquatic and riparian habitats of local wetlands, lakes, streams, rivers and estuaries in Nova Scotia.

In 2023:

  • 25 groups supported
  • 75 active rivers impacted
  • 12,000 trees planted streamside
  • 97,800 square meters of fish habitat restored
  • 4700 volunteer hours contributed
  • 68 jobs created

NSSA Adopt A Stream is a program designed to encourage and assist community groups across Nova Scotia protect and restore their local waterways by providing technical support and project funding.

Delivered by the Nova Scotia Salmon Association on behalf of the organized recreational angling community as represented by the Inland Fisheries Advisory Committee with members from:

  • NS Federation of Anglers and Hunters               
  • Canadian Association of Smallmouth Anglers
  • Trout Unlimited                                                    
  • Responsible Bass Anglers of NS
  • Atlantic Salmon Federation                               
  • Nova Scotia Salmon Association

The  Nova Scotia Salmon Association’s Adopt A Stream program provides financial and technical support to non-profit, community groups in Nova Scotia undertaking projects that improve or restore fish habitat and fish populations. Adopt A Stream will contribute financial support to match the value of the community organizations’ volunteer time, donated services & materials, and other financial support. NSSA Adopt A Stream Project Funding will contribute up to 50% of eligible project costs.

Eligible Projects

Fish Habitat Restoration and Improvement Projects: Projects that improve fish habitat for migration, spawning, nursery, rearing, or adult fish by improving water quality and physical features of the aquatic habitats.

Some Examples of Potential Projects:

  • Fish passage to reconnect fragmented habitats including culvert repair, fishways, stream blockage removal, and resting and holding pools.
  • Riparian restoration to stabilize banks, provide shade, filter out contaminants, add organic materials for the food web, and provide large organic debris for future stream structure.
  • Water quality restoration including temperature, clarity, oxygen, and pH.
  • In-stream habitat restoration such as installation of digger logs, deflectors etc. to improve pools, stream thalweg and to clean cobble and gravel substrates.
  • In-stream cover for all life stages of fish.

Program Funding

The Nova Scotia Salmon Association works with many partners to help create productive aquatic habitats in Nova Scotia. 

Nova Scotia Anglers

Since its establishment in 2005, the Nova Scotia Sportfish Habitat Fund (NSSHF) has been the primary source of project funding of the Adopt A Stream Program.  Having this directed revenue available annually, from the habitat fee on recreational fishing licenses, provides a foundation community groups can build upon to undertake increasingly comprehensive fish habitat restoration in their local watersheds all across the province.

This angler generated revenue is held in the Nova Scotia Sportfish Habitat Fund which is administered by the Sportfish Habitat Fund Committee.  This Committee is chaired by the Inland Fisheries Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and is composed of members from the recreational angling community.

The funding that the NSSA receives from the Nova Scotia Sportfish Habitat Fund is distributed to community groups for habitat restoration projects which have been approved through the review committee process.

The Organized Recreational Fishing Community

The NSSA is a member of the Inland Fisheries Advisory Committee (IFAC), as are the NS Federation of Anglers and Hunters,  the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF), and the Canadian Association of Smallmouth Anglers (CASA).  It was through discussions at this committee, in late 1997, that the NSSA assumed the lead role in the delivery of the Adopt A Stream Program on behalf of the member organizations.

Government Agencies

Nova Scotia Department Fisheries and Aquaculture is a key supporter of the program.  Its continued annual financial commitment allows the Nova Scotia Salmon Association to provide technical and management oversight of projects funded by the NS Sportfish Habitat Fund thus ensuring all of the revenue from the NS Sportfish Habitat Fund is distributed directly to projects.

The Adopt A Stream Program strives to ensure high quality habitat restoration work and equitable distribution of resources (both funding and technical assistance) to community groups undertaking fish habitat restoration projects. This is achieved through a multi-agency proposal review process and technical support during the design, layout, and implementation of projects. 

Chaired by the NSSA, the review committees are comprised of representatives from government agencies with regulatory and management responsibilities for fisheries and habitat:

  • NS Fisheries and Aquaculture (Inland Fisheries Division)
  • NS Environment, and
  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada (both Habitat and Fisheries Management divisions)

Community Groups

Our key partners are the community groups active in their local watersheds. Currently there are about 30 groups actively participating in habitat restoration and watershed stewardship projects across the province