LOCATED AT: 143 COUNTY ROAD, IPSWICH MA MAIL: P.O. BOX 576, IPSWICH, MA 01938 PHONE: 978-412-8200 FAX: 978-412-9100
Fisheries Resources
The Ipswich River fishery is severely degraded due to low- and no-flow episodes, obstructions on the mainstem and tributaries blocking fish movement and causing undesirable ponded conditions, and the use of spawning ponds for municipal water supply. IRWA convened a group of fisheries experts to establish clear guidelines for fisheries restoration. These include a “target fish assemblage” (species which would be expected to live in the river under natural conditions) and a year-round low regime that will support a healthy fish population.
- Fisheries Restoration Report (pdf) Current status of fisheries and restoration approach. IRWA
- Target Fish Community (pdf)Describes an expert established “target fish community ” (species which would be expected to live in the river under natural conditions) and a year-round flow regime that will support a healthy fish population. IRWA
- Status of River Herring on the North Shore of Massachusetts (pdf)This report summarizes the biology and history of river herring, and the data that have been collected. Despite some modest efforts at restoration, it appears that population levels are much below historic levels and well below the production capacity of the spawning habitats of the lakes and ponds of these river systems.
- Ipswich and Shawsheen River Watersheds 2005 Fish Population Monitoring and Assessment. 12 May 2006. Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
Click here to see reports from IRWA’s herring count monitoring efforts.
