Update from Nequasset!
2020 Nequasset Alewife Count
The first fish were seen entering the lake on Monday, May 11th!
Updates From the Fish Count
The first fish was counted on: 5/11 at 4:35pm
The highest fish count so far was: 172, on 5/13 at 6:40pm
Here's a graph showing the fish counts that have been reported over the past week.
Sharing a sampling of the comments from the fish count forms that have been submitted
One thing I have always enjoyed from the fish count is looking back at the datasheets and seeing the counts and notes from the previous counters.
"Water flowing over some of the platform and the top-most ladder was not in place. Great blue heron flew over." 5/10, 12:14pm, 0 alewives
"No fish but saw an osprey and an eagle. Seems to be a lot of sticks and stuff where the top of the ladder enters the lake." 5/11, 10:00am, 0 alewives
"When I arrived I noticed 2 blue herons in a tree near the road on the way in. Heard the sound of Osprey and noticed 2 overhead. Highlight, or not the highlight, was another blue heron standing over the v-notch in the counting area. I guess they know where the fishing is good!" 5/11, 6:21pm, 1 alewife
"A small number of very quick moving herring at the base of the ladder. One fish, which appeared slightly larger than a herring, was nosing around the top of the ladder." 5/12, 7:15am, 1 alewife
"Water was clear. Water was approx a 1/4” over the dam. Was at the dam a total of 48 mins. ... Ospreys up to three circling around at a time. One caught an alewife and gave it a lift to the other side of the dam! He dropped it! One eagle was in tall pine tree just observing all the activity. ... Beautiful day!" 5/12, 2:15pm, 6 alewives
"7 osprey, 1 photographer on the dam, 2 more photographers at base of ladder, 1 heron and 1 bald eagle flying above (we didn't see them land)." 5/13, 4:40pm, 56 alewives
"First of patient fishermen departs with bait fish. No wild hunters near dam." 5/14, 7:10am, 22 alewives
"The fish ladder was quite different from previous years. The wooden divider was much farther away from the opening in the concrete wall where the fish enter the lake. I only saw 1 fish go through the farthest up wooden V." 5/14, 10:32am, 1 alewife
"12+ alewives above the last ladder but not entering the lake–two 16" bass are hovering around the entry! 1 osprey, 1 eagle, a dozen seagulls. 8 trucks and 10+ people. Smokehouse and sales underway at the fish shed" 5/14, 3:47pm, 14 alewives
"Osprey perched; seagulls; two juvenile bald eagles; high water; great blue herons" 5/15, 7:09am, 1 alewife
"2 Osprey. Black Flies are showing up" 5/15, 8:15am, 4 alewives
"There was a large fish, possibly a bass, lurking in the deep part of final hurdle before entering the lake. Questioned if I was really seeing this until one alewife came in and the larger fish came up and snatched the alewife down." 5/15, 6:48pm, 0 alewives
"Osprey is circling really low overhead! Very cool for me, not the fish. More seagull activity now too. 3 more great blue herons flying over. They look like dragons. There are 2 loons in the lake above and an osprey just caught an alewife from below the fishway! Loons are super close! Where are you alewives? I should do this every morning!" 5/16, 6:33am, 0 alewives
"Heavy rain last night. High water, water running over top of dam, overflowing spillway." 5/16, 8:29am, 0 alewives
"Water was flowing heavily over the dam, due to last night’s rain. We observed an immature bald eagle, three osprey, black-backed gulls and other species of gulls." 5/16, 2:42pm, 4 alewives
"1 passing great blue heron, multiple harvesters below ladder also awaiting fish movement" 5/17, 9:03am, 0 alewives
"High water levels and I didn't expect to see anything. To my surprise, there were fish!" 5/17, 3:42pm, 4 alewives
2020 Fish Count Ground-Rules
TO HELP KEEP PEOPLE SAFE
Please do not go down to the harvesting area. None of the materials will be in the fish house this year.
This year, we are asking that only one individual or one family group stand in the fish counting area beyond the chain link fence at a time. Fish Counters and Bath Water District Personnel have preference for accessing this area.
If you feel sick, please don’t come to count!
Please observe all state and federal distancing guidelines and stay at least 6 ft. away from any other people.
Take any neat photos?
We love to see neat pictures of the sights at the ladder! If you have any you wouldn't mind us sharing in these emails and on our website, please send them along to Ruth at rindrick@kennebecestuary.org.
Not able to visit the ladder this year?
You can still help support northeastern alewife populations by counting fish! There are some alewife counts in Massachusetts that record videos of their fish ladders, and they need volunteers to watch the videos and report on the number of fish that go by.
Thanks for the great pictures that people have shared from the ladder so far this year!
Why is there a mound of dirt near where the edge of the dam meets the lake?
A couple people mentioned that there appears to be a mound of mud and sticks underwater near where the concrete of the dam ends. This is actually the remains of a beaver dam that was built last fall. Late last fall, the beavers mounded dirt just about as high as the top of the concrete and completely blocked off the entrance to the fish ladder. The Bath Water District shoveled out the dirt and removed the sticks. The shallow area you see is the remains of that dam.
Your Counts Are Valuable!
They help to track the population of these important fish
The fish count numbers are used by the town to sustainably manage the harvest, the Bath Water District to measure and improve the function of the fish ladder, the Maine Department of Marine Resources to study and manage fish populations around the state, and other groups who are doing local projects on roads and streams to make sure these projects don't hurt the fish.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us to count alewives at Nequasset!
We couldn't do it without you.
Please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions about the Nequasset Alewife Count.
Ruth Indrick
Project Coordinator
Kennebec Estuary Land Trust
(207) 442-8400
rindrick@kennebecestuary.org
