After over 75% of Niagara River coastal wetlands were lost, Canada anchored recycled Christmas trees into the riverbed; restoration has now created 1.64 km of fish habitat
What if a discarded Christmas tree could help bring a damaged river ecosystem back to life? For years, the Niagara River’s shoreline has been losing an important part of its natural ecosystem. More than 75% of the original coastal wetlands on the Canadian side had disappeared, reducing the shallow, sheltered areas that fish need for feeding, breeding and growing. In response, conservation teams began using an unusual but practical material: dead trees, including recycled Christmas trees, anchored directly into the riverbed. The structures help slow waves, reduce erosion and create calmer areas where aquatic life can thrive.According to Niagara Parks, the coastal wetland restoration programme began in 2016 in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and Environment and Climate Change Canada. The programme was designed to restore shoreline habitat at strategic locations along the Niagara River. A 2025-26 Niagara Parks sustainability report says that 1.64 kilometres of habitat structure have now been installed in the Upper Niagara River, with additional work continuing at sites including Black Creek and Boyer’s Creek.
Why the loss of wetlands mattered
Coastal wetlands are much more than strips of vegetation along a river. They provide sheltered, shallow-water environments that can serve as nursery habitat for young fish. When these areas disappear, species lose places where they can feed, reproduce and find protection from stronger currents. According to Niagara Parks, the loss of more than three-quarters of the original coastal wetlands had removed important fish nursery habitat and severely affected species including lake sturgeon and muskellunge. The restoration programme therefore focuses not only on stopping shoreline erosion but also on rebuilding the physical conditions needed for aquatic life. The approach is relatively simple. Instead of relying entirely on new manufactured structures, conservation workers have reused natural materials that would otherwise have been discarded or chipped.
How old Christmas trees became fish habitat
One of the most distinctive parts of the project involved recycled Christmas trees. Niagara Parks anchored trees into the riverbed, where they act as underwater structures that interrupt wave energy and create calmer conditions near the shore. The idea is to recreate some of the complexity that naturally fallen trees can provide in waterways. Branches and trunks create physical cover and additional surfaces in the water, potentially giving fish and other aquatic organisms places to shelter.At Boyer’s Creek in 2019, Niagara Parks planned to repurpose a roughly 30-foot blue spruce that had been displayed in Queen Victoria Park during the holiday season. Rather than sending the tree for disposal, the park intended to use it as anchoring material in the riverbed. The programme has also made use of ash trees affected by the emerald ash borer. Rather than simply removing and disposing of these dead trees, some have been incorporated into shoreline restoration projects.
Building a more natural shoreline
The restoration effort has expanded beyond Christmas trees. Niagara Parks has also experimented with anchoring fallen ash trees to their remaining stumps so they can rest on the riverbed, imitating the way trees naturally fall into waterways. These structures can provide what conservationists call instant fish habitat while also helping protect the shoreline. Riparian zones, where land meets water, can provide food and shelter for aquatic organisms, regulate water temperatures and help resist erosion.The programme has grown considerably since the early projects. Niagara Parks’ latest sustainability report says 1.64 kilometres of habitat structure have now been installed in the Upper Niagara River. In summer 2025, crews added structures at the mouths of Black Creek and Boyer’s Creek, including 70 tree and log structures and more than 360 tonnes of boulders. Together, that work created approximately 240 metres of additional coastal wetland habitat.
A restoration project with wider benefits
The results are intended to extend beyond shoreline protection. Niagara Parks reports that restoration efforts have already been associated with increased fish and shorebird populations and greater diversity, along with improved water quality at restored sites. What began as an effort to repair a heavily altered shoreline has therefore developed into a broader ecological restoration programme. By turning unwanted trees into structures that resemble natural river habitat, conservationists are giving the Niagara River’s shoreline another chance to function more like a living ecosystem.The unusual use of recycled Christmas trees is a reminder that restoration does not always require entirely new materials. Sometimes, discarded parts of the landscape can become the building blocks for bringing damaged habitats back to life.
