Migratory
fish species, which for thousands of years swam up the Neponset
River
to lay their eggs, now have no access
to the river beyond the Baker Dam. These fisheries were a
critical food resource for Native Americans for at least
10,000 years, and were an important resource for early
European settlers as well.
If the river were open, American
shad, blueback herring,
and alewife would
come from the ocean to lay their eggs upstream, and their
offspring would head back to the ocean in the fall. These are
all “anadromous” species. These fish runs would be
restored on 17 miles of the Neponset
River
(map of extent of restored fish runs
to come).
These runs would extend to the
communities of Dorchester,
Quincy
, Milton, Mattapan, Hyde Park,
Canton
,
Dedham, Westwood,
Norwood
and Walpole
. The Department of Fish and Game has evaluated fish habitat
in these upstream communities and found it well suited for
anadromous fish spawning if the dams were not blocking the
runs.
Shad and herring make up a large part of the diets of popular
salt water sport fish such as striped bass and bluefish. Dam
removal would enhance the existing sport fisheries in the
Neponset River Estuary. In addition, American shad are
considered a sport fish in their own right.
Resident freshwater fish species in the
Neponset
River
, such as largemouth bass and sunfish, would also benefit from
restoration of the natural river flow and resulting cooler
water temperatures and higher oxygen levels.
Finally, herring and shad are important links in the larger
Gulf of Maine food chain which supports numerous commercial
fish species. Fishery restoration on the Neponset River would
provide an incremental benefit to the overall commercial
fishing industry in New England.
In
addition to enhancing predator fish species, the restoration
of anadromous fish would have a beneficial effect on the
overall ecology of the river, extending to a variety of bird
and mammal species such as great blue herons, eagles, and
osprey to name just a few.
Other migratory species that would
benefit if the dams were removed include rainbow smelt and
American eel. Smelt currently spawn in Lower Mills below the
dam. Dam removal would allow spring tides to move roughly 100
yards further upstream, expanding the smelt spawning area and
providing more desirable salinity conditions for the smelt.
American eels are a “catadramous” species; they spend
their adult lives in freshwater rivers and then migrate to the
open sea to spawn.
In the absence of dam removal, none of the above benefits from
fishery restoration would be realized.
June
2008
