- A team of employees from Diageo Corporation, Norwalk, clean-up at Bunnell’s Pond in Beardsley Park. The Pequonnock River is dammed in Bridgeport at the Bunnell’s Pond Dam, forming Bunnell’s Pond.
by Alexa Jaccarino
Most people don’t realize that between the urban towns of Monroe, Trumbull and Bridgeport, runs the Pequonnock River, an amazing ecosystem that is an essential pathway for herring and other fish to migrate throughout their lives. River herring are migratory fish; they are born in the fresh water of the river, they migrate to Long Island Sound, and once they are mature and ready to spawn new fish, they must return to the Pequonnock.
Unfortunately, when the CT Department of Transportation (DOT) was realigning Routes 1 and 8 in Bridgeport, they installed a concrete apron in the river to prevent erosion. This now leaves a very shallow path of water for the herring to swim through which can lead to fatal damage of the fishes scales and fins, as well as expose them as easy prey for waiting birds such as Black-Crowned Night Herons and even eagles. Continuing to lose the herring this way would have a serious effect on the ecosystem of the Pequonnock River.
Save the Sound’s new initiative to “Protect the Pequonnock” is attempting to rehab the entire waterway as well as create a passageway in the concrete apron that will allow the fish to travel safely upstream.
The plans to create this passageway are completed and in cooperation with several organizations, including the National Fish and Wildlife Organization, almost all of the necessary funding was raised. The Pequonnock River Initiative is hoping to install a step pool fish ladder “comprised of a series of weirs and concrete pools through the center of the apron.”
The step pool and weir structure would also maintain the DOT’s initial intention to prevent erosion. The structure will take only a few months of construction to complete and if full funding is reached this fall, the Initiative is hoping to begin construction the summer of 2011.
Save the Sound and the Pequonnock River Initiative offer many opportunities for involvement from the community. Opportunities include directly becoming involved by heading up or joining a committee of the Initiative, or simply attending some of the awareness activities the organization presents; such as “river walks” where a guide will teach you about the river and identify areas to improve, river clean-ups and general public meetings to discuss the progress of the project.
Other ways to help protect our environment that these groups have created include, helping in invasive species (non-native plant) removal from the river, as well as storm drain stenciling (you’ve probably seen “No Dumping, Drains to the Sound” painted onto a storm drain or two–you can thank Save the Sound).
For more information or answers to any questions you may have regarding these issues, check out the Save the Sound or CT Fund for the Environment websites: www.savethesound.org, www.ctenvironment.org.
Posted on July 21st, 2010 | category: Featured Articles
