Watershed Values

Internationally the Miramichi River is renown. Its fame is connected with Atlantic Salmon, a prize fighting fish in the world of recreational fishing.  The Miramichi has developed a distinctive romantic  image of picturesque forests and streams that offer this classic outdoor experience. 

Miramichiers take pride in this image and other values inherent in living along the second largest of New Brunswick’s rivers.  The headwaters of the Miramichi are within the New Brunswick hinterland.  The adjectives ‘wild’ and ‘remote’ still well describe much of this area, a description increasingly eroded however by forest harvesting activities.

Toward the coast, the character of the Miramichi changes to one reflecting community. The Miramichi watershed contains significant populations of three cultures living in peaceful coexistence; Acadian, English and First Nations. The First Nations in the watershed reserves (Red Bank, Eel Ground and Burnt Church) are all found within the tidal waters of the Miramichi, reflecting their connection with the rich coastal waters in their traditional lifestyle.  French and English communities also dot the lower river, and Miramichi Inner Bay.  These communities were developed around the European human heritage of the area, and are still resource based in forestry, mining and commercial fishing.

Recreational Fishing & Hunting - The Miramichi has received international recognition as a premier Atlantic Salmon river for more than a century.  People of wealth and fame have come from all over the world to fish some of the famous holes on the Miramichi.  The values inherent in this activity are now cultural as well as recreational.  Local residents have had the best opportunity to fish the Miramichi and again salmon are the favorite target.  During most of this recreational history fish were caught and kept, almost without exception; this is no longer the case.  Salmon stocks have slipped over the years to a degree that very few fish of a particular age class, grilse, are the only ‘keepers’.  Adult salmon are only to be caught on a ‘hook’ and ‘release’ basis to encourage better spawning potential. Conservationists and resource managers work hard to maintain fish stocks at current levels.  Restoration to historic, more abundant stock levels are complicated by the at sea-run stage of the Atlantic Salmon’s life cycle, introducing human and environmental factors beyond the control of local interests. 

A large proportion of Miramichi residents are hunters, mostly for large game (moose, deer and bear) or waterfowl.  The fall is often dedicated time among such enthusiasts to pursue such wildlife and spend time at the camp.

In association with hunting and fishing, outfitting and guiding have been and remain important to tourism on the watershed. Dozens of camps, large and small, line the branches of the river. These tend  to cater to visitors from away , including international guests from the U.S., Europe and oriental lands.

The public has traditionally had access to woodlands, waterways, and the coastline. There has been considerable erosion of these privileges over the years with the increasing amount of private lands and private waters.  A question remains as to who is to protect the remaining values here?

Air quality - Air quality values are mostly good in the Miramichi watershed.  Industry has  compromised these values in limited areas downwind and in proximity to industrial sites. For the vast majority of the watershed area, this is not a serious concern. This is little solace however to the communities and residents that are impacted.

Winter recreation - A value that has grown over the last few decades is that of snowmobiling. The Miramichi is included in an area of northern New Brunswick where this recreational activity is very popular and the infrastructure is quickly being developed to accommodate it. Snowmobile clubs, trail networks’ (groomed), camps, festivals and other events support this now important economic activity. Snowmobiling and other winter activities have been marketed in New Brunswick  in a ‘White Gold’ promotional campaign. access to vast areas of forests is important in pursuing this recreational activity.

Other than these outdoor values the people of the Miramichi reflect typical Atlantic Canadian family and  community (‘salt of the earth’) values. This idyllic picture needs to be tempered by results of a health study on a portion of the Miramichi examining reasons why sickness and death rates are above national averages.  The results indicated, not environmental conditions but life style factors being the cause.  It suggests that Miramichiers tend to be heavy drinkers and heavy smokers. 

There are a variety of other outdoor pursuits that appeal to lesser numbers of people. Canoeing is very popular for a period in the spring during the freshet and continues to some extent throughout the rest of the open water season.  Fiddle head harvesting is a traditional spring activity for some families. Swimming at developed beaches or local swimming holes occurs throughout the watershed. Recreational boating is important to a small group of enthusiasts, an activity that is centred around the city’s Miramichi Yachting & Boat Club (formerly Douglastown). During the winter there are cross-country skiers, some of whom are affiliated with a ski club in Nelson.

The Miramichi has much to offer for outdoor oriented people. With each of these outdoor pursuits, summer or winter scenic qualities of the Miramichi, both along the coast and upriver, are very high. Water quality values and other environmental values are very  important for many of the activities noted above and deserve conservation and protection from conflicting uses.  In effect, protecting these values is the assignment before MREAC.