The Margaree River is one of the most stunning examples of Nova Scotia’s freshwater legacy. A Canadian Heritage River since 1998, it is by far one of the province’s most scenic and spectacular rivers.  The Mi’kmaw name for the Margaree area is Wiaqajk, which is translated as “at the mixing place” and refers to both environmental features and the historical significance of the area for the Mi’kmaq.

It is home to a healthy population of Atlantic Salmon as well as Brook Trout and Gaspereau, thanks to countless generations of careful stewardship by the Mi’kmaq and community organizations such as the Margaree Salmon Association and the Margaree Fish Hatchery. Throughout the mountainous terrain from the shoreline up to high plateaus, the Margaree watershed supports some of the province’s last remnants of original Wabanaki-Acadian and floodplain forests.

Thanks to a rush of support to keep the clean headwaters of this beloved river in our nature forever, we are proud to announce that we have protected three new properties whose forested slopes and intact riparian areas help keep the river and its watershed safe for some of our province’s most iconic and most threatened species.

These newly protected lands all lie along the North East Margaree River, an area whose Mi’kmaw name, Mulapukejk , translates to “river gouged out at a spot.” These newly protected lands lie upriver of land already protected by the Nature Trust. They add 427 acres (173 hectares) to our growing focus area in the watershed,with 162 more acres under contract to be added pending the completion of final survey work this year. The land includes river frontage and old growth forest tracts along the River Sanctuary area designated to protect salmon spawning grounds.

Healthy headwaters are critical for a healthy river. The North East Margaree has traditionally been considered a source of cold, clear water throughout the summer months, thanks to the expanses of old growth hardwood forest lining its slopes and shading its waters. They prevent erosion, preserving essential cold-water refugia and intact tributaries to keep the river clear and fast-flowing for a healthy population of Atlantic Salmon, Brook Trout, Gaspereau, and other river inhabitants.

While the surrounding areas have been heavily impacted by forestry, the private lands along this section of the river and stretching up to the protected plateau represent a significant portion of the remaining intact forested hardwood slopes of this region, as well as the rare Sugar Maple floodplain forest that lines the river floor.

The forests themselves are also essential habitat for at-risk terrestrial species, including mammals like Canada Lynx and American Marten, and birds like Bicknell’s Thrush and Rusty Blackbird. Even the elusive moose depend on these hardwood slopes for forage habitat. All of these species need large intact natural areas to meet all of their habitat needs; protecting these privately owned lands creates important connections between protected spaces and reduces threats to these species.

The Province protects more than nine thousand hectares of wilderness in the upper reaches of the Margaree River, including both the Margaree River Wilderness Area and the Sugarloaf Mountain Wilderness Area. But the land between those protected areas, including almost all of the land that rises from the banks of the river to the protected plateaus, is mostly held in private ownership. In addition to creating connectivity for wildlife to move safely, protecting these privately owned tracts is critical to preventing increased run-off and sedimentation, preserving shade along the shore, keeping water temperatures low, and preventing shallowing and widening of the river.

The protection of these three new properties brings the total area of Nature Trust Conservation Lands within this concentrated area to approximately 795 acres (322 hectares). We are proud to establish the Margaree Watershed as one of the priority focus areas for our conservation work, aiming to ensure that the natural legacy of the Margaree will remain in our nature. We look forward to continuing to work with the many organizations who have been instrumental in maintaining the health of the entire river system, along with landowners and the surrounding community to protect lands along the river and throughout the watershed through further land conservation and stewardship.

This project was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada and the Government of Nova Scotia through the Canada-Nova Scotia Nature Agreement.

The Canada-Nova Scotia Nature Agreement is a project of the Province of Nova Scotia. Working with conservation partners, the goal is to increase the amount of protected and conserved areas and advance an integrated approach to the protection, conservation and recovery of biodiversity, including habitat, species at risk and migratory birds, in the Province. The Canada-Nova Scotia Nature Agreement is funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada, through the Canada Nature Fund.

This project was also made possible by the Waltons Trust.

Our thanks as well for generous support from the Nova Scotia Crown Share Land Legacy Trust, a critical source of land securement funding for Nova Scotia’s land trusts.