Improved Eel Ladder Helps Endangered Species

A 300-metre extension to the eel ladder at the Saunders Generating Station in Cornwall and a new surface that helps eels climb the ladder faster will contribute to the restoration of the endangered American eel in the upper St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario.

The improvements to the eel ladder by Ontario Power Generation will ensure more American eels migrate safely to Lake Ontario and live out their normal life cycle. The improvements support an action plan to bring back the American eel. The action plan was announced last year by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Ontario Power Generation.

The American eel is a native Ontario species, a top predator, and a key indicator of the health of the upper St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario ecosystems. Once an important part of Ontario's commercial fishery, the number of American eels has declined dramatically since the 1990s. The species is classified as "endangered" on the Species at Risk in Ontario List.

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