What Happens? About Herring

Each spring, Two species of fi sh in coastal are millions of river collectively referred to as “river herring.” They are herring migrate the alewife (AlosaAlosa pseudoharenguspseudoharengus) andand tthehe bluebackblueback A GUIDE TO VIEWING into Massachusetts’ herring (AlosaAlosa aestivalisaestivalis).). TTheyhey areare veryvery coastal waters to similar in appearance and both species are AlosaA l o s a ppseudoharenguss e u d o h a r e n g u s begin their annual anadromous, meaning they are born in freshwater, alewife RIVER HERRING IN trek up dozens of spend the majority of their lives in the ocean, and our coastal return to freshwater to spawn. Mature river herring How Can You Help? and . They undertake an upriver spawning migration in the COASTAL MASSACHUSETTS are returning to the spring. In Massachusetts waters, alewives spawn The freshwater stage is the time in a river herring’s life place of their birth, in late March to mid-May when water temperature when humans can have a great impact. Obstructions to to spawn and create a new generation of river herring. reaches about 51ºF. Blueback herring spawn later passage such as dams and road culverts can block the fi sh’s These determined travelers face many challenges along in the spring (late April through June), when water upstream progress and prevent them from reaching suitable their spawning runs. Dried up river beds and voracious temperature reaches about 57ºF. spawning habitat. Water withdrawals due to public water use predators like striped bass, bluefi sh, cormorants, and of and agricultural practices can have a negative impact on river course, humans, impede their progress and reduce their River herring are an important component of herring, preventing upstream migration or stranding juveniles numbers. Dams and steep elevation changes completely a healthy coastal and riverine ecosystem. There are trying to get out of a system. Pollution is also an ongoing block their passage in many streams. The river herring are over 100 separate river herring runs throughout problem. Poor water quality affects river herring of all ages, helped around these barriers by man-made fi sh ladders. the Commonwealth. Many of these runs have seen from developing eggs to adults. Finally, over-harvesting the Fish congregate and cue up for a chance to fi ght the a decline in the herring population in recent years. fi shery or poaching can remove too many adults from a run, current, rush up the ladders, and continue on with their MarineFisheries collectscollects datadata onon thethe populationpopulation statusstatus reducing the number of fi sh successfully reproducing. journey. This behavior creates an amazing spectacle that in these key runs to guide management decisions attracts thousands of visitors each year. regarding regulations. These regulations are There are a number of ways that the public can become important to help sustain the herring population in involved in conserving the river herring populations. Fish coastal Massachusetts. ladders should be included in all dam structures that are located in herring streams. These ladders must then be kept Herring runs may be under the direct control clean and functioning so the fi sh can keep returning every of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries spring. Dams that are old and outdated, are safety hazards, or (MarineFisheriesMarineFisheries),), oorr theythey maymay bebe underunder thethe controlcontrol ofof that are no longer necessary should be removed. Agricultural local town government (with MarineFisheries oversight).oversight). practices should be required to allow for the passage of Contact your town to fi nd out if they are responsible herring, both during the spring upstream migration and for the management of the herring resource. If the the late summer and fall juvenile out-migration. All water town has control, they will be able to provide you withdrawals should be managed with river herring in mind with information regarding harvest regulations and and water conservation should be practiced at all times. permitting. Otherwise, contact MarineFisheries Concerned citizens can become involved by attending local government meetings, by advocating responsible stewardship MarineFisheries staffstaff and local volunteers at fi shw shwayay on on the the Charles Charles Ri Riverver for state regulations (http://www.mass.gov/ in Newton, MA, where MarineFisheries repaired a fi sh ladder in time for the marinefi sheries). of the river herring resource, and especially by educating 2005 spring Herring run. themselves and others about the biology and requirements Take your friends and family out on the next beautiful for a healthy river herring run. For more information spring day and enjoy this spectacle provided by Mother and a survey of all anadromous fi sh passages in coastal Nature! This pamphlet provides location and viewing Massachusetts, visit www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/ dates for several of our most impressive and accessible publications/technical.htm for the following river herring runs. Check the map on the back page of Alosa aestivalis technical reports, TR-15, 16, 17, and 18. thisthis publicationpublication forfor moremore information.information. We urge you to report all poaching blueback herring activity and vandalism to local town authorities and the Massachusetts Environmental Police (800-632-8075). Woolen Mill Dam and Fishway – Parker River – Newbury Mill Dam and Fishway – – Wareham Who You Can Contact! This is a relatively small run (currently under 10,000 Since 1632, the Agawam system supports a very productive herring) but it is one of the few on the North Shore that river herring fi shery largely due to the more than 500 acres Many areas have dedicated volunteer groups whose members is accessible for viewing. The fi shway is located just a of spawning and nursery habitat available in its and are very knowledgeable about the watershed and the local short distance off the side of Central Street at the Woolen impoundments. In addition to the river herring, the Agawam fi sheries. These groups make many contributions to the Mill Dam. Parking is diffi cult so this site may not be River also supports a small rainbow smelt population, and in conservation of anadromous fi sheries by increasing public ideal for large groups. The Woolen Mill Dam is the fi rst recent years numbers of gizzard shad have been observed. The awareness of the resources and by conducting fi sh counts of six dams on the Parker River and each one is provided smelt spawn below the fi rst dam to above the head of the tide. and other data gathering and restoration activities. Get with a fi shway to provide passage to the headwaters in have also been taken at the catching station at Rt. involved with the activities of your local watershed and fi sh Pentucket Pond. 6 during operation of the herring fi shery. counting groups. The following is a list of herring counting Location: Central Street at Parker River, near intersection with Location: The Elks Club lot off Route 6/28 West below Mill Pond groups in your local area: Orchard Street. Viewing Dates: April 7 – May 20 Viewing Dates: April 15 – May 15 North Shore Monument River Fishway – Monument River – Bournedale Essex River – Eight Towns and a (www.8tb.org) Watertown Dam and Fishway – –Watertown This system supports one of the Commonwealth’s most – Ipswich River Watershed Association The Charles River supports one of the largest productive river herring populations. DMF has monitored (www.ipswichriver.org) blueback herring runs in the Commonwealth and is being this run for over 20 years using electronic and visual counts to Little River – Massachusetts Audubon Society (www.massaudubon.org) estimate population size, which has ranged from 91,000 fi sh in used as a donor population for restoration efforts in the – Lowell Land Trust (www.lowelllandtrust.org) Neponset and Ipswich Rivers. The Watertown Dam is 1980 to 672,000 in 2000. Because of its size and accessibility, Parker River – Parker River Clean Water Association (www.parker- the second of numerous dams located along the length of this population is the primary source of mature adult alewives river.org) the Charles River, and extensive efforts by MarineFisheries for MarineFisheries’s stocking program. The construction of and other agencies have been made to provide access to the inhibited upstream access by intercepting the streams Area upstream spawning habitat. Fish passage is now provided natural . A series of weir-pool and notched weir-pool Charles River – Charles River Watershed Association at each dam up to river mile 20. fi shways, which are integrated within the ’s artifi cial (www.charlesriver.org) Location: Department of Conservation & Recreation – River channel, allows river herring to migrate upriver to spawning sites – Mystic River Watershed Association Front Park off California Street in Bourne and Plymouth. (www.mysticriver.org) Viewing Dates: May 15 – June 15 Location: Route 6/28 (Scenic Highway north side of Canal) at – Neponset River Watershed Association the Army Corps of Engineers comfort station (www.neponset.org)www.neponset.org) – Saugus River Watershed Council Viewing Dates: April 20 – May 30 Jackson Square Dam and Fishway - Back River-Weymouth (www.saugusriver.org) Located in Weymouth’s historic district (Jackson Square), the herring run has played an important role in Lower Mill Pond Dam and Fishway – Stony Brook - Brewster South Shore the city’s history as the herring was both a prized and Stoney Brook has long been one of the Commonwealth’s watershed – Coalition for Buzzards Bay protected resource. The new fi shway is a weir-pool design most popular herring runs. The annual migration of river (www.savebuzzardsbay.org) built in the 1990’s by MarineFisheries. The run begins at herring up this stream attracts numerous Cape Cod tourists – Jones River Watershed Association (www.jonesriver.org) Whitman’s Pond, and fl ows through and under the Iron every year. A series of connected weir-pool fi shways and stone Mattapoisett & Sippican Rivers – Alewives Anonymous Hill area, passing under Commercial Square. It fl ows baffl es allow the fi sh to surmount a natural elevation change and (www.plumblibrary.com/alewives.html) past the town incinerator, into Back River and out to sea. mill pond dam, enabling them to reach the 386 acres available in – Lakeville/Middleboro Herring Commission, Location: Intersection of High Street, Water Street and Pleasant the headwater ponds. This run was described in great detail by Town Hall, 340 Bedford Street, Lakeville, MA 02347 Street, East Weymouth Viewing Dates: April 20 – May 15 John Hay in his book “The Run.” North & South Rivers – North and South Rivers Watershed Association (www.nsrwa.org) Location: Next to Thomas Prence Grist Mill (intersection of Stony Brook – Alliance Road and Setucket Pond) (www.trwaonline.org) Jenny Grist Mill Dam and Fishway – Town Brook – Plymouth Viewing Dates: April 15 – May 20 This stream has been the subject of an ongoing restoration effort involving local, state and Federal agencies. A notched weir-pool fi shway, Cape Cod thatthat operatesoperates atat JennyJenny GristGrist Mill,Mill, facilitatesfacilitates thethe passagepassage ofof riverriver herringherring pastpast thethe mill.mill. ToTo datedate thisthis programprogram hashas resultedresulted inin Alewife Brook – Essex Falmouth Fisherman’s Association – ATTN: Mr. Lou Turner, 88 improvements to one fi shway, adult stocking in the headwater pond and removal of an impassable dam. In addition to Alewife Brook fl ows from into the Essex Oyster Pond Road, Falmouth, MA 02540 river herring, smelt and smelt eggs have been observed in the lower reaches of the brook. River. Chebacco Lake provides 206 potential acres of spawning Location: Spring Lane off Summer Street (Downtown Plymouth) habitat for alewives. It is one of the few river herring runs in Viewing Dates: April 20 – May 20 Massachusetts that is not impeded by man-made dams. However, in recent years, beavers have constructed dams near the outlet Production of this brochure was made possible by contributions from the GE Foundation, Wareham Street Dam and Fishway – Nemasket River – Middleboro of Chebacco Lake, thus sometimes impeding access to this Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., and Cashman The Nemasket River supports the largest river herring run in Massachusetts. Estimates based on visual large potential spawning area. This run is best viewed from the Contractors through the Massachusetts counts by volunteers have consistently exceeded one million fi sh per year. The primary reason for the large bridge on Apple Street. Parking is limited so this site may not be Corporate Restoration Partnership. size of this run is the availability of over 5,000 acres of spawning and nursery habitat in the upper reaches appropriate for large groups. of the Nemasket River. The fi shway at Wareham Street is a large weir-pool ladder that was designed Location: Apple Street bridge located just off Route 22 in Essex and constructed by MarineFisheries 1996.1996. TThehe NNemasketemasket RiverRiver fi ssheryhery iiss mmanagedanaged jjointlyointly bbyy tthehe ttownsowns ooff Viewing Dates: April 15 – May 20 Lakeville and Middleborough through their herring committee. Location: Wareham Street off Route 105 (Main Street) – downtown Middleboro Viewing Dates: April 1 – May 2 Division of Marine Fisheries 251 Causeway Street, Suite 400 Boston, MA 02114 617.626.1520 Web site: www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/index.html brochure design by sandy rabb