What Happens? About River Herring Each spring, Two species of fi sh in coastal Massachusetts 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).). TheyThey 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 streams return to freshwater to spawn. Mature river herring How Can You Help? and rivers. 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),), oror 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 Pond Dam and Fishway – Agawam River – 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 ponds 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 American shad 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 Bay (www.8tb.org) Watertown Dam and Fishway – Charles River –Watertown This system supports one of the Commonwealth’s most Ipswich River – 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 Merrimack River – 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 canal inhibited upstream access by intercepting the streams Boston Area upstream spawning habitat. Fish passage is now provided natural channel. 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 stream’s artifi cial (www.charlesriver.org) Location: Department of Conservation & Recreation – River channel, allows river herring to migrate upriver to spawning sites Mystic River – 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 Cape Cod Canal) at Neponset River – Neponset River Watershed Association the Army Corps of Engineers comfort station (www.neponset.org)www.neponset.org) Saugus River – 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 Buzzards Bay 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.