Mission Statement and Objectives

To create, through the rehabilitation and enhancement of important cold water streams, healthy and self-sustaining river ecosystems that contribute to the ecological, economic and social health of Manitoulin Island.

Manitoulin Streams expects to achieve this vision by addressing the following objectives:

• Protect, improve, enhance, create, promote and maintain high quality water resources, vital to all facets of life on Manitoulin Island.
• Create community ownership for the health of the river ecosystems on Manitoulin Island.
• Develop capacity within the Island population to assist in resource management programs.
• Access available resources that can support the proposed projects.
• Develop community awareness of the value of the cold water fishery on Manitoulin Island.
• Develop community awareness of the benefit of water bodies and streams to other components of the ecosystem.
• Working in concert with the agricultural sector where/when necessary to promote and protect aquatic resources.
• Through proper ecosystem management, provide additional resource based opportunities such as improved sport fishing experiences, improved water quality, reduced threat of flooding and others on Manitoulin Island.

1. To restore resources for future generations to enjoy.

2. To protect, improve and enhance water quality on Manitoulin Island.

3. To create community ownership and awareness of cold water stream ecosystems on Manitoulin Island.

4. To enhance tourism and angling opportunities for Manitoulin and surrounding areas.

The project is a long-term initiative that will create improved ecosystems in and around streams located on Manitoulin Island. Recent scientific studies have shown that these streams have been damaged by a variety of land use practices over the past century.

Manitoulin Streams Improvement Association is grass roots, a not-for -profit organization that is focused on large-scale, community based efforts to rehabilitate aquatic ecosystems on Manitoulin Island, in central Ontario. We bring the entire community together to do this via joint private and public driven initiatives. Our efforts rehabilitate and enhance water quality and the fisheries resource on Manitoulin Island and Lake Huron which is fed by the streams.

Manitoulin Island is the largest freshwater island in the world and is widely referred to as "the heart" of the Great Lakes. It contains 108 freshwater inland lakes, many of which in conjunction with its cold water springs, feed into Lake Huron, making it an extremely important spawning and rearing area for many species of salmon and trout. Manitoulin Streams has become an important model of rehabilitation in Canada and beyond. Manitoulin Streams won the bi-national State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference or SOLEC "2008 Success Story of the Year" award. This prestigious award was presented by the Canadian and American Consul Generals for our rehabilitation efforts. In 2010, Manitoulin Streams won the Ontario Federation of Angler and Hunters (OFAH) Zone "D" Conservation Club of the Year for our 2009 rehabilitation efforts.

Manitoulin Streams has completed 23 major projects on the Manitou River, Blue Jay Creek, Norton’s Creek and Bass Lake Creek. We have conducted a Class Environmental Assessment covering 184 waterways on Manitoulin Island. This means that we have provincial and federal approval to rehabilitate these waterways.

The next step in the Manitoulin Streams Project is to begin rehabilitation of the Mindemoya River. It had an enhancement strategy conducted on it in 2009. Landowners are currently being enlisted to join upcoming projects. We are currently in the planning stages for a rehabilitation project in the west end of the island in Meldrum Bay.  Mill Creek, sometimes called South Creek, is a spring fed creek that feeds into Lake Huron. We will be working with the Dawson Citizens Improvement Association to rehabilitate this creek.