“It’s important to monitor them because they are an endangered species. With the wheel, we can count how many Atlantic salmon smolt are leaving the river, and it allows us an estimation of the population for that life stage.”

The wheel was assembled at the Stewiacke River site, just off the Stewiacke River Park Road, on May 5 with the help of members from the Cobequid Salmon Association. The conservation group has been monitoring it five days a week since early May.

“We try to position the wheel in the main current, and there are little sides that divert more of the current into the wheel. The movement turns the wheel and the fish are lifted through it,” said Kavanagh.

The wheel has a catchment basin at the back of it, which is checked on a regular basis.