From the Mashpee Enterprise · May 17, 2024 · By Alex Megerle
Volunteer counts compiled for Mashpee’s conservation office showed all three town herring runs on track to meet or exceed 2023 totals as of early May 2024. The Mashpee River had already passed last year’s count, and the Santuit was ahead of its 2023 pace. The Quashnet River, which carries herring from Waquoit Bay up to Johns Pond, logged 183 fish versus 175 a year earlier, well below its roughly 870-fish average count since 2011.
The article also outlines fixes underway: the Santuit Pond fish ladder’s pools are too short and shallow, the Mashpee River ladder empties into a still pond where herring are easy prey, and the Johns Pond spillway and ladder suffer from erosion and sediment buildup, with federal conservation engineers designing repairs. Better passage at Johns Pond directly benefits the Waquoit Bay run.
Read the full story in the Mashpee Enterprise: “A Glimpse Into Mashpee’s Herring Numbers” →
This is CPWB’s summary of a news article. The full article and its photos are published by the Mashpee Enterprise.
Drafted with AI assistance from the linked source.
