Eileen Fielding of the Farmington River Watershed Association shows Dave Kozak, an environmental planner at CT DEEP, and his son Collin where the Spoonville Dam used to be before it was removed by FWRA in 2012. Fielding explained the value of dam removal for opening migratory fish habitat during World Fish Migration Day festivities on May 24.
The Spoonville Dam (left) was removed in July and August 2012. It has resulted in the reopening of approximately 50 miles of historic spawning habitat for American shad, American eel and river herring.
A wave of wild alewives press up Bride Brook on their way to the lake to spawn in early April. Alewives migrate from the sea to freshwater in the spring. Photo by Kevin Jobs, CT DEEP/Inland Fisheries Division.
World Fish Migration Day 2014 was a one day global initiative, with local events worldwide, to create awareness on the importance of open rivers and migratory fish. WFMD is held to improve the public’s understanding of the importance of open rivers and migratory fish and their needs. There were 15 events held in Connecticut this year.
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