Reports for 2018 are listed below, in chronological order
FIRST REPORT
This is the first St. Croix River anadromous fisheries report for 2018, covering fish counts at the Milltown (head-of-tide) fishway for the seven day period ending May 9.
RIVER HERRING
The Milltown research trap is operated for an 8-12 week period each year to record the run of alewives (or gaspereau) and closely-related blueback herring, collectively called river herring. Other fish entering the trap are also documented.
The research trap and fishway were activated simultaneously on April 26, 2018 and the trap has been tended daily since. The first 2018 river herring ascended the fishway on May 9, within a week of the arrival of previous year’s runs. A total of 4 river herring were recorded in the trap on May 9.
Weekly trap reports will be issued Wednesday evenings following the final trap check of 11 PM.
A comparison of alewife/blueback herring returns to this date with other recent years:
To May 9 # to date (T = season total)
2017 0
2016 0
2015 0
2014 0
2013 342
2012 993
Ten year (2008-2017) average to this date: 133
OTHER FISH
No other fish species were recorded as of May 9.
FUTURE REPORTS
You are being sent this weekly report because of your past interest in St. Croix anadromous fisheries returns. If you have specific questions, send them to Heather Almeda, the Milltown Project Manager, at staff@stcroix.org
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SECOND REPORT
This is the second St. Croix River anadromous fisheries report for 2018, covering fish counts at the Milltown (head-of-tide) fishway for the seven day period ending May 16.
RIVER HERRING
The Milltown research trap is operated for an 8-12 week period each year to record the run of alewives (or gaspereau) and closely-related blueback herring, collectively called river herring. Other fish entering the trap are also documented.
The research trap and fishway were activated simultaneously on April 26, 2018 and the trap has been tended daily since. The first 2018 river herring ascended the fishway on May 9, within a week of the arrival of previous year’s runs. 13,029 river during the seven day period of May 10-16 bringing the cumulative year total to 13,033.
Weekly trap reports will be issued Thursdays following the final trap check of 11 PM each Wednesday evening.
A comparison of alewife/blueback herring returns to this date with other recent years:
To May 9 # to date (T = season total)
2017 369
2016 125
2015 16
2014 7
2013 704
2012 1,336
Ten year (2008-2017) average to this date: 1,397
OTHER FISH
Sixty-two white suckers, seven smallmouth bass, and one common shiner were recorded in the trap this week. These freshwater fish presumably dropped below the dam via open gates into the brackish water below and returned back up the fishway to the river.
FUTURE REPORTS
You are being sent this weekly report because of your past interest in St. Croix anadromous fisheries returns. If you have specific questions, send them to Heather Almeda, the Milltown Project Manager, at staff@stcroix.org