River herring are native fish that make a remarkable journey each spring, leaving the relative safety of the open ocean to reach inland ponds via coastal rivers and streams. Adult river herring need to make this journey each year to complete their life cycle where they spawn in suitable ponds before returning to the ocean. The Ipswich River once had an impressive herring run as did many coastal rivers, but barriers to migration such as the conversion of historic spawning ponds to reservoirs, dams and other obstacles have resulted in the drastic reduction of the population. As remarkable as the herring run are the volunteers who, over the last 20 years, have participated in the annual Ipswich River herring count to track trends in the population. Their work has collected valuable data on long-term trends in the run size that contribute to fisheries management and ongoing restoration work.
The 2018 herring count wrapped up in June and we spent time over the summer analyzing the results. Volunteers spend 10 minutes at a time watching the Ipswich fish ladder and count however many herring and other fish are seen entering the river. A video camera also records the movement of fish and other animals throughout the day. The count ran from April 1st to June 9th and a total of 39 volunteers performed 286 counts over this time period while observing 27 herring. This translates to a run size estimate of 496 with a margin of error of +/- 228. The estimates show a slight decline over the past 3 years, but with the margin of error, the counts are actually relatively close.
Only a small number of herring remain from the large variety and quantity of native fish that once thrived in the Ipswich due to loss of habitat from dams, low flows, and warm water temperatures.
We will continue to gather evidence such as herring counts as part of our ongoing restoration work to remove dams and fix barriers. The success of this program is the result of the herring counters and many other volunteer contributions from individuals. We are a community based organization, working on your behalf. Please help support the herring count and many other programs through your membership. www.ipswichriver.org or find us on facebook.