Mystic River Watershed Association Announces River Herring Education Project

The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) announced this week they are developing an educational program for kids to watch river herring migrate through the Mystic Lakes.

The MyRWA will develop an underwater camera system connected to a web interface to allow students to monitor the migration and participate in fish counts. The project is funded by an EPA Environmental Education grant.

According to the MyRWA, an estimated 500,000 river herring swim seven miles up the Mystic River from the sea annually to reproduce. River herring encompasses both Alewife and Blueback Herring, two species that have experienced population declines in recent decades.

"The herring migration is a largely hidden spring ritual that serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of protecting our local rivers. We are so excited because this new program with video enables people to connect to the herring and play a role as citizen scientists," Patrick Herron, executive director of the Mystic River Watershed Association, said in a statement.

The organization is currently working with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries to install a camera at the Upper Mystic Lake Dam in Medford and a second at the fish ladder in Winchester Center.

Website visitors will be encouraged to count herring by watching short video clips, and submit their data. The data will be presented in an online interactive display about herring patterns and behavior.

Photo submitted by the Mystic River Watershed Association