A Canadian Heritage River since 1998, the Margaree River is one of the most stunning examples of Nova Scotia’s freshwater legacy and has been a focus of community gathering and collective stewardship since time immemorial. The Nature Trust is honoured to be part of the lively ecosystem of partners working to preserve the health of this thriving river and its tributaries.

Throughout the mountainous terrain from the shoreline up to high plateaus, the watershed supports some of the province’s last remnants of original Wabanaki and floodplain forests. Less than 1% of Nova Scotia’s old growth forests remain intact, yet they are critically important for the health of the forest and the many species who live within it, from moss and lichen to birds and mammals. The forest is also essential to keeping the river itself cool and clean for Atlantic Salmon, Brook Trout, Gaspereau, and other aquatic species.

The mountainous forest of the watershed is mapped critical habitat for Bicknell’s Thrush, one of North America’s rarest and most localized songbirds and designated as Endangered in Nova Scotia. Elusive mammals including the Canada Lynx, American Marten, and Cape Breton Moose also depend on large and intact natural areas to roam safely.

The Province has protected 9000 hectares of wilderness in the upper reaches of the Margaree River, but many of the steep slopes connecting the plateau to the river are privately owned; almost the entire shoreline of the river itself and critical riparian habitats along its banks are currently in private ownership. Development on these privately owned tracts could lead to increased run-off and sedimentation, loss of shade along the shore, increased water temperatures, and shallowing of the river.

The Margaree River is a world renowned pilgrimage site for fly anglers and is similarly beloved for a vast array of other recreation, including kayaking, canoeing, and tubing. While other famous salmon rivers have been heavily privatized, the Margaree is known as “the people’s river” because of its accessibility – a status that can only be maintained by ensuring the protection of these privately owned lands.