Black Sturgeon River Park management plan amendment

Description of policy

Black Sturgeon River Provincial Park is located northwest of the Town of Nipigon. The Black Sturgeon River begins near Lake Nipigon and flows into Black Bay on Lake Superior. The park protects a large percentage of the river and stretches approximately 72 kilometres. The park serves as an important recreational waterway for canoeists, campers, anglers and hunters. There are diverse fisheries and landscape features (e.g. glacial spillway and cuestas) with rugged terrain.

The Black Sturgeon dam (Camp 43) is located at the south end of the park within the park boundary and was constructed in 1959/1960.

Black Bay was once home to the largest population of walleye (Sander vitreus) in Lake Superior, supporting sizable commercial and recreational fisheries. Due to a combination of factors, including overfishing, habitat loss and predation of juvenile walleye by rainbow smelt, the walleye population collapsed in 1968.

Recent studies suggest that spawning habitat is limiting in Black Bay, and that the remnant walleye stock spawns in the Black Sturgeon River. The Camp 43 dam currently prevents access to upstream spawning habitat. Providing fish access to naturally occurring habitat is considered essential for the large scale rehabilitation of the native fish community in Black Bay and the Black Sturgeon River. The Camp 43 dam also prevents naturalized non-native fish species, and invasive species such as sea lamprey, from moving upstream in the Black Sturgeon River and its tributaries.

The Black Sturgeon River Park Management Plan needs to be amended to provide adequate direction to implement fisheries management and invasive species control projects. Major changes include direction on decommissioning and partial removal of the Camp 43 dam, constructing new barriers to control the movement of invasive species from Lake Superior and an associated development zone expansion, and direction for new roads for waterway access as needed. Direction for the remediation of the closed Outward Bound School site is also being proposed.

Administrative changes were also made to correct and update information. These administrative changes will ensure the management direction is up-to-date with current terminology, legislation and provincial direction.

Purpose of policy

To obtain public input on the proposed park management plan amendment for direction on fisheries management projects to support rehabilitation of the native fish communities in the Black Sturgeon River and Black Bay, to respond to the threat of invasive species and for site remediation of the closed Outward Bound School site.

Other information

The following web links provide additional (or supporting) information.

Copies of the proposed amendment to the park management plan are available in PDF format.

Public consultation

This proposal was posted for a 62 day public review and comment period starting January 10, 2017. Comments were to be received by March 13, 2017.

All comments received during the comment period are being considered as part of the decision-making process by the Ministry.

Please Note: All comments and submissions received have become part of the public record.

Other public consultation opportunities

Direct mailing to a mandatory contact list will ensure that Indigenous communities, Métis, provincial stakeholders and government organizations will be included in the process. Ads will be placed in regional print media.