Miramichi River watershed has under gone many environmental changes recently. With mills and mining closures, reduced lumbering and agriculture, MREAC is no longer focusing on pollution prevention but instead environmental management and awareness. Environmental issues of the future are becoming more of a concern today as the public becomes more aware of how things will be affected in the future.
You can find below a list of completed and ongoing projects MREAC has carried out in the Miramichi River watershed. You can select some of the projects to open a more detailed explanation of what the project is about and any results, images and data available. If you have any questions or concerns, or looking for more information on these projects, you can contact the office to talk to our staff.
| Biodiversity Stewardship Program |
MREAC will be assisting Nature NB with their Biodiveristy Stewardship Program by collecting and sharing data and information on Ecological Significant Areas within the Miramichi River watershed. There are 900 ESA's within New Brunswick and 118 of them within the Miramichi River watershed. More... |
| Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring |
Data from a DFO weather station in Doaktown is collected by MREAC, whom shares the water temperature data online during the summer. MREAC also has a new water quality monitoring station on the Napan River as part of the Chemical Management Plan project and a teaching tool for NBCC ET students. More... |
| Tunicate (AIS) Monitoring |
Tunicates are known to inhabit PEI and Nova Scotia, and more recently New Brunswick. With a new Tunicate monitoring site on the Miramichi at Escuminac Wharf, MREAC is now involved with the monitoring and awareness of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) in partnership with DFO. More... |
| Comminity Aquatic Monitoring Program (CAMP) |
This DFO project is carried out by a number of community watershed groups, where important data (such as fish data, water qualtiy, vegetation and sediment data) is collected to help monitor the health status of their estuaries, and collectively the Southern Gulf of the St. Lawrence. More... |
| Ecosystem Initiatives |
MREAC is not only committed to improving the environment for the Miramichi River watershed, but through various networks and organizations is also committed to improving the world around us. More... |
| Renewables NB |
MREAC is a member of Renewables NB as the North-East Region Coordinator. The purpose of this New Brunswick Renewable Energy Hub is to provide information to home owners and home builders interested in knowing more about renewable energy systems before installation begins. More... |
| River/Air Watch |
River Watch and Air Watch is a community flagship program operated by MREAC in order to respond to environmental concern situations within the watershed. Citizens are encouraged to call the number if they are concern with something that may be affecting the quality of the Miramichi River.
1-800-56RIVER. More... |
| Snow Monitoring |
Snow depth and water equivalency are measured by MREAC staff at seven sites scattered throughout the watershed, in collaboration with the NB Department of Environment snow monitoring program. The data is contributed to the Flood Risk Analysis model for the province of New Brunswick. More.... |
| Swim Watch |
Starting in 1993, MREAC has been monitoring the water quality at key recreation sites throughout the Miramichi River watershed. Six sites are sampled weekly and 28 sites are sampled twice during the summer months. Public notices are distributed when a site is deemed unsuitable for recreational use. More... |
| Waste Stream Management |
MREAC monitors and promotes improvements in waste stream management in four different sectors of waste stream generation: Industrial, Municipal, Rural and Agricultural. Several monitoring projects are carried out and reported on to the committee in these sectors. More... |
| Water Classification Program |
This program designates all water bodies in the province with a water class, AP, AL, A, B, C or O, in order to protect the water and ensure proper management of the surface water resources. Water Classification is under way for the Miramichi River as MREAC has partnered with DENV to carry out this project. More... |
| Air Quality |
MREAC completed an Air Resources Managment Area (ARMA) Management Plan for the Miramichi area in 1998. More... |
| Biomonitoring Study |
MREAC has assited Environment Canada and the Univeristy of New Brunswick with biomonitoring projects within the watershed. The most resent project was a BioBlitz during the summer of 2008 with UNB. . More... |
Chemical Management Program
(CMP) |
This Environment Canada national project monitors chemicals and their impact on the environment at select sites across the country. The Napan River is a historiclly impacted river on the Miramichi River, and it will be monitored for flame retardants and bisphenol A in participation of this program. More... |
| Cougar Station |
MREAC assisted a masters student studying cougars in the area. Scent posts were maintained by MREAC staff during 2004-2007 in order to determine if cougars were in the Miramichi area. More... |
| Freshwater Mussel Survey |
Freshwater mussels are good water quality indcators as they are sensitive to polluted waters. Limited knowledge about mussel species, population size and distribution prompted MREAC to complete three years of freshwater mussel surveys, (2008, 2009 & 2010) on a number of Miramichi River tributaries. More... |
| Kennedy Lakes Portage Trail Construction |
A group of volunteers joined MREAC with the constructed of a portage trail to Second Fowler Lake and Main Kennedy Lake within the Kennedy Lakes Protected Natural Area. The pupose of this trial is to reduce the amount of damage to habitat and plants caused by foot activity near the lake's shorlines. More... |
| Little Southwest Miramichi Oxbow |
MREAC works with other partners to explore potential ways of stabilizing the serious erosion problems happening on the Little Southwest Miramichi Oxbow. More... |
| Miramichi River Sediment Analysis |
Sediment samples were studied for contamination from indstury in the upper estuary for the Miramichi River in 1993 and 2002. In 2007/08, an additional study was completed in the lower estuary which was then compared with the previous results. More... |
| On-site Remediation |
Failing on-site septic systems can have a negative affect on the water quality of neighbouring river systems. This program assisted low income homes with funding to complete upgrades on failing systems in an attempt to protect the Miramichi River's water quality. More... |
| Sanitary Shellfish Project |
A desired section of the Miramichi River Bay remains closed to shellfish harvesting due to high levels of E. coli in the water from an undetermined source. Water samples were collected as part of an investigation to determine the source of this contamination, with no conclusive results. More... |
| Striped Bass YOY Monitoring |
Striped bass YOY were collected and counted using a beach seine net as part of a DFO research project to help monitor their popuation. They have a "threathened" status according to COSEWIC, and the Miramichi River has the only known spawning habitat in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence. More... |
| Sub-watershed Monitoring |
Due to the scale of the Miramichi River watershed (>13,400 sq. km), it is broken into sub-watersheds. Each year, water quality data was collected for a new sub-watershed. Completed sub-watersheds are Napan River, Barnaby River, Cains River, Northwest Millstream, Renous River and Northwest Miramichi River. More... |
| Wetland Stewardship |
MREAC has been involved in several wetland construction projects. The purpose of building these wetlands are to promote waterfowl and wildlife habitat, wetland education, recreational opportunities and improve surface water management. More... |
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