By Amy Nathanson, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Atlantic Salmon, a species once common throughout New England, was driven to extinction in the Connecticut River by 1800. But Caleb Slater, MassWildlife's Anadromous Fish Project Leader, is working to change that along with an army of volunteers including everyone from sport fishermen to wildlife enthusiasts to elementary school children.

The decline and eventual loss of Atlantic salmon in this area was caused by habitat loss.  As settlers moved into the area they dammed the small tributaries of the Connecticut for mill power and irrigation.  Salmon, which spawn in shallow tributaries rather than the main trunks of streams were unable to bypass the dams and reach their breeding grounds. In 1798 the dam at Turners Falls was completed, cutting salmon off from northern New England. Though Atlantic salmon persisted in some other areas, it was the end of salmon in the Connecticut River for many years.

Caleb Slater discussed past efforts to restore this fish to the Connecticut River.  “There was actually an Atlantic salmon restoration program in the 1860s,” Slater said. Though they were able to hatch trout and salmon, the restoration efforts were largely unsuccessful.  “There were some returns but the fishways [that allow salmon to bypass dams] didn’t work very well.” Later water pollution became a barrier to restoration efforts.  “It wasn’t until the 1960s that we cleaned up the river so that we could think about restoration.”

In addition to clean water, federal and state agencies are working to enable salmon and other migratory fish access to their historical breeding areas.  Efforts include investigating effective fishways and fish ladders, as well as dam removal.  On May 2, United States Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior Lynn Scarlett came to Massachusetts to present the Coastal America Partnership award for the Yokum Brook Restoration Project. This project involved the removal of several dams and the restoration of almost 40 miles of river habitat. Two dams have also been removed on tributaries of the Westfield River.

Slater has been working on the Atlantic salmon restoration project for the past ten years, but the project has been in place for the past quarter century.  He works with the U.S. Connecticut River Coordinators Office, which coordinates efforts between federal agencies and the basin states of Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. “Our goal is to stock 10 million salmon fry in the Connecticut basin [this year]. We stock about 1.5 million fry in Massachusetts.”

In the fall Slater and his team will survey the tributaries to check survival.  During this time period the salmon experience explosive growth.  When they are released in April, there are seven fry to the gram.  By September each salmon, now called a parr, weighs 70 grams.  Parr will remain in the freshwater streams for two years. They will then develop into smolt, and migrate to the ocean in the spring. “They evolved to use the spring flood to get out,” Slater said. “It’s like a free ticket to the ocean.

Though most of the fry come from MassWildlife's Roger Reed Hatchery in Palmer and the White River National Fish Hatchery in Bethel, Vermont, some local schools also aid the restocking effort.  Forty-three schools in Massachusetts and 167 schools in the Connecticut River basin hatch salmon eggs in their classrooms, monitoring fry growth and changes until it is time to release them into local streams.  

With habitat restoration and the help of the community, there his hope that this ecologically and economically important fish will return to our local waters.

Salmon stocking efforts are complete for this year, but there are many other ways to get involved.  Visit the MassWildlife news page to read about upcoming events or subscribe to their newsletter. 

If you are interested in raising salmon in your classroom next year, visit the  Connecticut River Coordinator's Office for more information, or go directly to the area with information about programs for teachers.