Nova Scotia Salmon Association Celebrates Major Carbon Removal Milestone Through Lime Dosing Program on the West River, Sheet Harbour

HALIFAX, NS, Feb. 24, 2026 /CNW/ - The Nova Scotia Salmon Association (NSSA) is celebrating a significant advancement in climate action and watershed restoration as Royal Bank of Canada purchases a major tranche of carbon removal credits generated through NSSA's long-running lime dosing operations on the West River in Sheet Harbour. The purchase was facilitated through NSSA's partnership with CarbonRun, a Nova Scotia climate technology company that measures and verifies carbon dioxide removal generated by river alkalinity enhancement.

The new investment reflects RBC's growing commitment to credible, science-based climate solutions while strengthening one of the most effective cold-water restoration programs in Atlantic Canada.

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Twenty Years of Work to Reverse the Impacts of Acid Rain

NSSA installed North America's first in-stream lime doser on the West River in 2005, followed by a second unit on the Killag River in 2017. For two decades now, these systems have steadily improved water chemistry in a watershed heavily affected by historic acid rain. By restoring alkalinity, the dosing program increases pH, improves water quality, and enhances the survival of wild Atlantic salmon, brook trout, and other native species.

This work has allowed entire reaches of the watershed to recover and has helped rebuild both ecological function and fish populations. It has also created new scientific opportunities. Recent advances by CarbonRun now allow this restoration method to be measured for its ability to draw carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and deliver it to the ocean for long-term storage.

RBC's Purchase Supports Both Climate and Conservation

RBC's recent acquisition of high-quality carbon removal credits recognizes the unique co-benefits of this approach. The purchase directly supports NSSA's operational costs, limestone supply, monitoring, reporting, verification, and continued scientific analysis of water quality and carbon removal. It establishes a model for stable funding for a system that operates year-round in remote conditions to keep the West River healthy and resilient.

"This commitment from RBC provides critical support for a program that has been protecting and rebuilding this watershed for almost twenty years," says Amy Weston, Managing Director of the Nova Scotia Salmon Association.

"Our lime dosing work began as a conservation project focused on salmon and brook trout. It is now also a proven climate solution that strengthens biodiversity, community partnerships, and watershed health. We are grateful to RBC for recognizing the importance of this work."

Innovation Through Partnership

CarbonRun, headquartered in Nova Scotia, is the first company to scale river-based carbon dioxide removal. Their technology measures and verifies the carbon drawdown created when alkalinity is restored in acidified waters. This partnership allows NSSA's conservation work to generate certified carbon removal credits that meet modern scientific and reporting standards.

"CarbonRun has created a pathway that connects climate action to on-the-ground watershed restoration," says Weston. "This collaboration aligns climate technology with conservation, producing benefits that extend from local fish habitat to global carbon removal."

A Model for Community, Climate, and Cold-Water Recovery

The West River initiative demonstrates how long-term stewardship can align with modern climate investment. It is the first project of its kind in North America and is now recognized internationally for its ecological and climate value.

NSSA extends sincere thanks to RBC for its leadership and to CarbonRun for advancing the science and technology that make this work possible. Continuous support ensures that the West River, its salmon, its trout, and its surrounding ecosystem will continue to recover from decades of acidification.

About the Nova Scotia Salmon Association

The Nova Scotia Salmon Association (NSSA) is a provincial conservation organization dedicated to restoring and protecting the habitat of wild Atlantic salmon, brook trout, and other native cold-water species. Through science-based programs, habitat restoration, community partnerships, and watershed-scale initiatives such as the West River Acid Mitigation Project, NSSA works to improve the health and resilience of Nova Scotia's rivers for current and future generations.

SOURCE Nova Scotia Salmon Association