In fall 2017 a student team from the Group Research in Environmental Science Project at Carleton University undertook a study that will form the basis for monitoring programs and future research projects.
The Carp River Restoration Project commenced in 2016 and incorporates approximately 6000 metres of stream restoration, habitat improvements (ponds and wet meadows), and recreational pathways in a large, rapidly urbanizing area running parallel to Terry Fox Drive in Kanata.
The student’s project assembled available information about the Carp River before and after the restoration to establish a baseline description of the restored section. The baseline information and the restoration’s objectives will serve as the foundation on which to base an educational and interpretive program, begin monitoring programs, and conduct research projects related to the efficacy of the restoration.
We were partnered with the Friends of the Carp River for this project. Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority provided subject matter expertise.
The students prepared a short video about the site, which can be viewed in the link below. The view shown in the link is from a point halfway along the restored river, looking north from over the Queensway. Terry Fox Drive is to the right. For more information about the study’s results, please see the Friends of the Carp River web site.
A population of wading birds has found the reconstructed river a good place to hunt for fish and frogs.
The new development of Acadia overlooks the reconstructed river and a wet meadow.
Same scene in 2011:
