NSP used all the water: Gaspereau fishermen

The iconic square-nets on the Gaspereau River were pulled early this year.

The fishermen volunteered to end their fishing last Friday (the season doesn’t end until the end of May) out of concern that low water levels in the river were preventing gaspereau from making it upstream to spawn.

Peter Croft, a director of the Gaspereau Squarenet Fishermen’s Association, said that the low water levels are caused by a combination of Nova Scotia Power’s operation of a hydroelectric dam upstream and a combination of low snowfall during the winter and little spring rain.

“In the fall and winter (Nova Scotia Power) actually drains the lakes fairly low, generating power,” said Croft.

“What they hope for is to recoup water by snowmelt or heavy rains before we fish in the spring. They did all the draining this year but then we didn’t get enough water back (from rain and snowmelt).”

Croft said that complaints to the operators of the White Rock hydro dam always garner the same response – that NSP is operating within the limits of their permit from the

Department of Environment.

Nova Scotia Power issued a written response to questions from the Chronicle Herald.

“We operate our hydro systems and maintain water levels as set out by the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSECC),” reads the response from spokeswoman Jacqueline Foster.

“Despite the dry spring, we are meeting those requirements as set out in our permit.”

That permit for the use of water from the Gaspereau River system is up for renewal.

Department of Environment

and Climate Change spokeswoman Mikaela Etchegary said that the company’s permit to operate the White Rock Generating Station and other facilities on the Black River and Gaspereau River came up for renewal in 2020.

She said commercial fishermen were consulted as part of that process in 2019 and that a temporary continuation of existing rules around usage was put in place while consultations have continued with the Mi’kmaq.

“(The Department of Environment and Climate Change) is now preparing to update the terms and conditions of the water approval based on NSP'S application and input from the Mi'kmaq,” reads the response.

“The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is responsible for protecting fish and fish habitat and regulating the commercial fishery in this context.”

The email didn’t include details on what those conditions for usage are or whether they change with snowmelt/rain conditions.

Croft said that fishermen want additional input to ensure in future years the water in the lakes isn’t used up for generating electricity before it’s needed for the spring fish runs.