Herring count under way!

Our first fish has already been spotted, by our own Pine duBois! However, volunteers are still needed, especially between 7-11am, 11am-3pm, or 3-7pm, Monday-Sunday. Please call or email us if you are interested in participating. Include your name, contact information, and preferred time.

For the uninitiated, the count consists of volunteers watching the top of the fish ladder at the Elm Street dam for 10 minute shifts and counting the fish that pass.

Thanks again to last year's Herring counters. Our data has been added to the other counts from around the state and turned over to the DMF for statistical analysis. The raw numbers, while dissapointingly low, are great indicators of river health. This is critical data with the dam removal project coming up. Many eyes are necessary for this, and we thank you.

As we continue to work on restoration of the Jones River it is critical that we have a thorough understanding of the present condition (the baseline). This allows us to estimate the potential for a herring comeback and helps us assess the success of our programs. Your help is essential!

JRWA organized its first ever herring count in 2005, and we are committed to making this an annual ritual. In 2006 and 2007 our volunteer participation increased and we were able to extend the amount of sampling time to 62 days (April 1st June 1st). The sad news is that the counts are low 278 fish in 2006, 357 in 2007, and 105 in 2008, in approximately 90 hours of counting over 2 months. This is a time when herring in the river should be countless going up the fish ladder at Elm Street. Our results and those of others throughout the region and the east coast signaled a clear warning that the river herring populations are crashing. This prompted closures meaning the prohibition of taking of any herring, for any reasonthroughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. While this is not the result we were looking for, the findings were a dramatic call to attend to the habitat issues and help the populations recover. Even if pickled herring is not your thingone has to appreciate that all the larger fish in the ocean rely on the small, once abundant bait fish, for their sustenance. No herring means starvation for our favored species such as striped bass. Based on this work, JRWA joined with others to urge the ban on taking herring, and through the Watershed Action Alliance (WAA), applied for grants to help educate the general public regarding the seriousness of the situation. We are also increasing our efforts locally to develop a watershed plan to remove obstacles to fish migration and spawning.

As we continue to work on restoration of the Jones River it is critical that we have a thorough understanding of the present condition (the baseline). This allows us to estimate the potential for a herring comeback and helps us assess the success of our programs. Your help is essential! Participation requires only minutes per day and can be fun for the whole family. Please contact us to find out how you can get involved at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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