Muscongus Pond Alewife Update: October 6, 2009

I actually smelled them before I saw them. I have looked for them
over the summer, but no confirmation until today. I had found the remains of what I hoped to be a young alewife in a downstream beaver dam, but it wasn't until I saw an actual school that the celebrating started.

They may not be here in the numbers as recent summers when DMR would
stock the pond. These are however a few very important young alewife. (The photo does not do justice.) The summer of 2009 now marks the first year since the installation in the 1960's of the southern RT 32/ Muscongus Stream culvert that "naturally" returning adult alewife reached and spawned in Bremen's Webber Pond. If you remember this past June ascending adult alewife successfully used a fish ladder to pass upstream of the southern hanging MEDOT RT 32 culvert. They also passed the remains of the old Webber Mill and yet another challenging RT 32 culvert before crossing a beaver dam into the lake. THESE CULVERTS MUST GO! Culverts are unnatural structures that accelerate a consistent water flow, and do not allow bypass alternate routes for fish etc... I will provide other fish ladders until these culverts are removed.

Fish ladders are a poor alternative, that work only under ideal conditions. This small population of now resident alewife will likely not prosper until future culvert removal. Though the 09' fish ladder was demolished in the late June flood, the effort was worthwhile.

I am excited!

Dave Wilkins