Count motto: Counts observing 0 river herring are still important data! And still a pleasant 10 minutes spent watching the river flow.
Click here to access a data-entry form for your count.
Click here to access a data-entry form for your count.
River herring count program
WHAT: We are seeking volunteers to WATCH THE RIVER FOR JUST 10 MINUTES and record the number of river herring that you see. Our goal is to have at least 9 counts a day, each count lasting 10 minutes. Ideally there will be 3 counts each in the morning, around lunchtime, and late afternoon.
WHEN: PLEASE STOP BY ANYTIME YOU CAN, even multiple times a day. No signup is necessary. In past years, it was rare that we reached our 9-count daily minimum. Please let us know if it ever gets crowded and we'll start managing times.
WHERE: Volunteers watch the river from the pedestrian-only bridge over the Shawsheen River between Atria Senior Living (15 Stevens St) and Powder Mill Square (14 Powder Mill Square) in Andover. PLEASE PARK AT SHAWSHEEN PLAZA and cross Main Street at the traffic light with the pedestrian signal. You'll know you're at the right bridge if you look over the downstream side and see metal plates anchored to the streambed to provide contrast so we can actually see the fish.
HOW to count: Watch the contrast plates for 10 minutes and count all the river herring that you see swimming upstream against the current. Use this link to enter your observations into your smartphone. There's a photo at the link of river herring so you'll know what you're looking for. If you prefer to email the number of river herring you saw, send that to Jon Honea. Observations of 0 fish are also super important—please let us know even if you saw nothing!
Click here for a 30-minute presentation covering the dam removals and volunteer river herring count program.
Brief History
River herring are coming back to the Shawsheen River from the Atlantic Ocean to spawn again now that two dams blocking them from their historical home were removed in the winter of 2016-2017. We have been documenting their return by counting them as they swim upstream to spawn from late April until the end of May. Please join us as we welcome these native fish back to the Shawsheen River!
We expect the river herring spawners to arrive near the end of April, earlier if we get a warm spring. As soon as one of our volunteers sees the first fish of the season, we'll send out an announcement so you'll know they've arrived (email Jon Honea if you want to be added to the volunteer email list). The run usually lasts 2–3 weeks following the first sighting, depending on the weather and unknown factors.
WHEN: PLEASE STOP BY ANYTIME YOU CAN, even multiple times a day. No signup is necessary. In past years, it was rare that we reached our 9-count daily minimum. Please let us know if it ever gets crowded and we'll start managing times.
WHERE: Volunteers watch the river from the pedestrian-only bridge over the Shawsheen River between Atria Senior Living (15 Stevens St) and Powder Mill Square (14 Powder Mill Square) in Andover. PLEASE PARK AT SHAWSHEEN PLAZA and cross Main Street at the traffic light with the pedestrian signal. You'll know you're at the right bridge if you look over the downstream side and see metal plates anchored to the streambed to provide contrast so we can actually see the fish.
HOW to count: Watch the contrast plates for 10 minutes and count all the river herring that you see swimming upstream against the current. Use this link to enter your observations into your smartphone. There's a photo at the link of river herring so you'll know what you're looking for. If you prefer to email the number of river herring you saw, send that to Jon Honea. Observations of 0 fish are also super important—please let us know even if you saw nothing!
Click here for a 30-minute presentation covering the dam removals and volunteer river herring count program.
Brief History
River herring are coming back to the Shawsheen River from the Atlantic Ocean to spawn again now that two dams blocking them from their historical home were removed in the winter of 2016-2017. We have been documenting their return by counting them as they swim upstream to spawn from late April until the end of May. Please join us as we welcome these native fish back to the Shawsheen River!
We expect the river herring spawners to arrive near the end of April, earlier if we get a warm spring. As soon as one of our volunteers sees the first fish of the season, we'll send out an announcement so you'll know they've arrived (email Jon Honea if you want to be added to the volunteer email list). The run usually lasts 2–3 weeks following the first sighting, depending on the weather and unknown factors.
If you have any questions, please contact Jon Honea.
