Overview

The Noel Paul’s Brook incubation facility was started with salmon from the Humber River being used as broodstock.

DFO set up a collection facility below Grand Falls to collect and transfer broodstock to the Noel Paul facility.

1.4 million salmon fry transferred from Noel Paul facility to Lloyds River.

The Exploits River Management Association was formed.

The Exploits River Management Association was renamed the Environment Resources Management Association. Extremely mild temperatures in January and February caused a major flood on the Exploits River.

In May and June of 1984 ERMA installed a counting fence on Lloyds River to tag smolt as they migrated downstream. The purpose was to prove that smolts could find their way past Red Indian Lake and migrate to the sea. This successful project was the justification for the salmon ladder at Millertown Dam and the introduction of salmon into Red Indian Lake so that salmon could utilize the entire Exploit’s River watershed.

The first annual Exploit’s Valley Salmon Festival was held. This festival had a regional approach with events scheduled in Grand Falls, Windsor and Bishop’s Falls. Expansion of the Noel Paul facility. Phase 1 began on construction of Red Indian Lake Fishway.

A new incubation facility was opened at Noel Paul with the capacity increased to 10 million eggs. Construction began on Phase II of the Red Indian Lake fishway. An article was published in the June/July edition of Canadian Geographic magazine about the Exploits Salmon Enhancement Program.

Phase III of the Red Indian Lake fishway construction was completed. 3.86 million salmon fry from the Noel Paul facility were released throughout the Exploits River watershed.

4.9 million salmon fry from the Noel Paul facility were distributed throughout the Exploit’s River watershed.

Construction started on the Grand Falls fishway. ERMA launched pilot project with local schools hatching salmon eggs in a classroom environment. This was the first time it had been done outside the province of British Columbia.

The Red Indian Lake fishway was opened.

Exploit’s salmon enhancement work was subject of a French documentary film with the Noel Paul’s Brook facility as the focus.

The Grand Falls fishway and Salmonid Interpretation Center officially opened. The provincial commercial salmon fishery was closed. A five-year, $21 million Cooperative Agreement for Salmonid Enhancement and Conservation (CASEC) was signed by Canada and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The principle objective of the Agreement consisted of maximising the economic benefits to the province and to the recreational salmonid fishery (by improving and maintaining stocks), and improving the overall angling experience. The ERMA hatchery facility was constructed with funding from ACOA.

Two floods impacted the Salmonid Interpretation Centre: a spring flood caused by fast melt due to warm temperatures that caused approximately $ 250,000 damages and a fall flood that caused less impact in terms of damage to the facility. Construction began for a gift shop and restaurant at the Salmonid Interpretation Center. The Noel Paul Brook incubation facility was closed. A Habitat Restoration Survey of the Tributaries of the Exploits River was completed with funding under the CASEC Agreement.

Gift shop and Falls View Restaurant officially opened. The road from the Abitibi bridge to the Interpretation Centre was paved. Restoration of Pamehoc Brook and Five Mile Pond under the CASEC funding program.

Hatchery facility was built with funding under the CASEC Program. ERMA began operation on the four major Exploits River fishways.

Construction began on Sanger Memorial RV Park.

Abitibi Consolidated built and operated a downstream fish bypass system on their newly constructed power canal. Prior to this, Atlantic salmon entering the forebay had no route to exit. The Grand Falls-Windsor sewage treatment plant came onstream.

Sanger Memorial RV Park was officially opened.

Flood damage at the Salmonid Interpretation Center due to an unusually fast spring melt. Restoration of North Twin Brook began as part of the Star Lake Fish Habitat Compensation Agreement.

Duck Pond Copper Zinc Project Fish Habitat Compensation Work began on Harpoon Brook and East Pond Brook for Teck Resources. Restoration of North Twin Brook as part of the Star Lake Fish Habitat Compensation Agreement was completed.

Work began on reintroducing Atlantic salmon to the Rattling Brook watershed with salmon being captured and transferred by helicopter from the Great Rattling Brook Camp 1 fishway.

ERMA began operation of the trap and bypass facilities to restore salmon passage around the Rattling Brook Hydroelectric Development in Norris Arm, NL for Newfoundland Power.

Unusually high water and heavy ice caused a breach in both ends of Goodyear’s Dam rendering its fishways inoperable. As a result, salmon could not utilize the fishways to migrate and access habitat beyond the dam. ERMA live trapped salmon at the Grand Falls fishway and transported them via truck 6 km upstream to release site at Boom landing.

Biology division conducts 1^st year of Aquatics Connectivity Project with Fisheries and Oceans.

Biology division conducts Exploits River Creel Census project with funding support from Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation. Biology division administers s 1^st year of Dam Assessment Project with Fisheries and Oceans.

Biology division conducts Rattling Brook Creel Census project with funding support from Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation.