Alewife Enhancement Project 

UPDATE: See current numbers from the 2008 count!

About the Project

The Medomak River Alewife Enhancement Project (AEP) is a local effort to develop and maintain a healthy alewife run that can serve as a forage base for the Medomak River and sustain a limited annual harvest. The project was begun in 1983 by the Lloyd Davis Anadromous Fish Trust, and is supported in part by the Gulf of Maine Council and NOAA.

Annual Fish Count

The Medomak River AEP is conducting a multi-year study to assess the population of alewives currently utilizing the Medomak River ecosystem for spawning.  Each May when the alewives begin their journey up the Medomak, a net is placed across the river with a small gate that can be opened or closed to let fish through. Volunteers work two-hour shifts counting alewives from the counting station on Mill Street in Waldoboro. In 2007, volunteers counted over 32,000 alewives between May 10 and June 12, with the bulk of the run taking place May 25-28. The data gathered will be used to track changes in the alewife population and determine the health of the Medomak River alewife fishery.                                                                      

                                                                                          Volunteer counters during the 2007 run.

The Amazing Alewife

Alewives, Alosa pseudoharengus, are a type of river herring. The species is anadromous, which means they spend most of their lives in the ocean but migrate to fresh water in the spring to spawn in coastal rivers and streams. Alewives and other river herring contribute to the health, diversity, and productivity of coastal ecosystems in many ways. When they return inland to spawn, alewives transfer enormous amounts of nutrients and energy from the ocean to coastal rivers and lakes. Migratory alewives and their offspring also provide a key forage base for other fish species, including striped bass, northern pike, pickerel, and trout, as well as predatory birds such as eagles and gulls. Alewives can also be harvested commercially, but the Medomak alewife fishery has been open only intermittently since the 1950s and was officially closed in 2005 to preserve the dwindling numbers of alewives.

History of Alewives in the Medomak

The Medomak River once supported large runs of five commercially-important anadromous fish species, the most abundant of which was the alewife. The falls were renowned as an Abenaki fishing destination and earned the Medomak its name, which means "place of many alewives". Extensive damming of the river in the early 1800's, combined with overfishing and pollution from sawmills, resulted in severely reduced numbers of all anadromous fish species and eventual extirpation of Atlantic salmon and shad from the river.

Although the alewife has persisted in the Medomak, their numbers have yet to approach those seen by early settlers. Recent efforts of the AEP have focused on determining the population of the existing Medomak River alewife run and removing physical barriers to alewife passage created by the construction of dams, culverts, and other river modifications. In the summer of 2008 a habitat survey will be conducted to identify all barriers to alewife passage as well as important habitat areas, which will allow the Davis Trust to better prioritize future restoration efforts.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

The Alewife Project relies entirely on volunteers to conduct the annual fish count. This project is a huge undertaking, and we need lots of help to ensure that accurate data is gathered!

Volunteer fish counters work 2-hour shifts counting alewives from a platform below the Mill St. bridge in Waldoboro. This is a great opportunity to witness the spring alewife run and help out with a really neat project!

For more information on how you can get involved, contact Katie Renwick at 832-5570 or volmvlt@midcoast.com.

Volunteers counters are critical to the success of the Alewife Project.

This spring we are also looking for volunteer supervisors willing to be on call for a day or evening in case anything goes wrong, then pick up equipment at the end of the day. Please let Katie know if you are interested in being a supervisor.

Click here to see a video of the 2007 alewife run.