Description:

Principal Land Uses

Little River, formerly known as Coverdale River, is located south of the Village of Salisbury. This river has a drainage area of 276 km2. The section of Little River above Colpitts Settlement is mostly forested and moderate logging is praticed in the area. The section below Colpitts Settlement is characterized by some agricultural activities.

Like the Pollett River, Little River is a relatively clean and unique system. Except for important rain events, the water quality in Little River is good. Agricultural runoff might be the explanation for elevated E.coli counts found in the water during periods of high rain. Again, as in other watersheds, some cattle have direct access to the river and some of its tributaries. Some agricultural lands also directly border the banks of the river therefore bank erosion is visible along tributaries and Little River itself. This situation increases the change for surface runoff since no buffer zones are in place to slow down the flow.

Unlike other watersheds that are affected by agricultural activities, the Little River shows relatively good water quality except for heavy rain events. Finally, the physical and aquatic habitats of this river are in good shape and with minimum modifications, the water quality of this river has the potential of being as pristine as the Pollett River's.

Water quality highlights for Little River