April 1
I have not heard of the herring running down at the fish ladder. If they are not running yet they are unusually late.* We expect them in our passage at Slough about three weeks after their arrival. In the meantime, even with all the rainfall, the pond level is lower today, at about 4.5". We suggest keeping the sandbag weir in place at the mouth of Slough Pond for another couple of weeks until the level is higher both in the pond and the passage. The head warden mentioned holding back the sandbag removal for ten days after the March 24th Alewife Committee meeting- which brings us to this week. Although the committee vote was for keeping the Slough passage open and maintaining it this year with adjustments to the sandbags, coordinated with water level and migration patterns, so far it is just a New Year's resolution with no action plan we have been privy to.
The Conservation Commission has requested a joint meeting with the Alewife Committee and it has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 8th @ 6pm. This is a public meeting and can also be attended virtually. Once the link is published I will post it. I plan to attend and request a schedule for maintenance at the Slough passage. It is not ready for the herring. Sand has accumulated on either side of the sandbags at the mouth of Slough and water is streaming over the sandbags. The water level is too low for fish passage here and at a spot farther down the channel where leaves have accumulated. Otherwise the passageway is clear and deep enough. The path is wider now and firmer due to the work done last December by the Mosquito Control Project crew. The area by the culvert, which was quite deteriorated due to runoff from the dirt road, no vegetation, and foot traffic, is now more stable. The area under the water at the culvert pipe looks as if it were dug down recently into a bowl shape, whether by human hands or by nature it's hard to say. It makes the entrance to the pipe look much more passable for the fish especially since the broken shards were removed in December.
It won't take much labor to get the passageway ready for the alewives arrival but we do hope for a schedule of visits by the wardens perhaps on a rotating basis, however, it bears repeating that timing and consistency are essential. On the subject of visits, for the first time ever I was stalked by an enormous coyote along the passageway in the late afternoon. Due to his size and coloring I mistook him for a deer at first. The video below does not do justice to his size. I'm sure some will object to the use of the word "stalk" but I have encountered many coy wolves before and this was definitely different. Once I got to the truck and had my camera out he spooked. Later, when the sun had set, I heard him howling plaintively from the woods where I had last seen him and hours later his pack joined in.
Meanwhile, the Osprey have returned, the Great Blue Heron floated by, Buffleheads and Mergansers are diving among the Mallards and our two resident Canada Geese, Swallows dance, and at dusk the exuberant chorus of spring peepers grows nightly (the members of the "knot" rising and falling albeit with the temperatures). From our house we can hear the tiny frogs singing in the east, from the vernal pools hosted by the wetlands that encompass the passageway, as well in the wetlands to the north and west, all at one time made use of for cranberry growing in the long ago and far away. Slough Pond is a circle and every sound echoes and reverberates like a singing bowl open to the brilliant night sky where the stars themselves find their equivalent luminance on the watery blue surface below.
I have not heard of the herring running down at the fish ladder. If they are not running yet they are unusually late.* We expect them in our passage at Slough about three weeks after their arrival. In the meantime, even with all the rainfall, the pond level is lower today, at about 4.5". We suggest keeping the sandbag weir in place at the mouth of Slough Pond for another couple of weeks until the level is higher both in the pond and the passage. The head warden mentioned holding back the sandbag removal for ten days after the March 24th Alewife Committee meeting- which brings us to this week. Although the committee vote was for keeping the Slough passage open and maintaining it this year with adjustments to the sandbags, coordinated with water level and migration patterns, so far it is just a New Year's resolution with no action plan we have been privy to.
The Conservation Commission has requested a joint meeting with the Alewife Committee and it has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 8th @ 6pm. This is a public meeting and can also be attended virtually. Once the link is published I will post it. I plan to attend and request a schedule for maintenance at the Slough passage. It is not ready for the herring. Sand has accumulated on either side of the sandbags at the mouth of Slough and water is streaming over the sandbags. The water level is too low for fish passage here and at a spot farther down the channel where leaves have accumulated. Otherwise the passageway is clear and deep enough. The path is wider now and firmer due to the work done last December by the Mosquito Control Project crew. The area by the culvert, which was quite deteriorated due to runoff from the dirt road, no vegetation, and foot traffic, is now more stable. The area under the water at the culvert pipe looks as if it were dug down recently into a bowl shape, whether by human hands or by nature it's hard to say. It makes the entrance to the pipe look much more passable for the fish especially since the broken shards were removed in December.
It won't take much labor to get the passageway ready for the alewives arrival but we do hope for a schedule of visits by the wardens perhaps on a rotating basis, however, it bears repeating that timing and consistency are essential. On the subject of visits, for the first time ever I was stalked by an enormous coyote along the passageway in the late afternoon. Due to his size and coloring I mistook him for a deer at first. The video below does not do justice to his size. I'm sure some will object to the use of the word "stalk" but I have encountered many coy wolves before and this was definitely different. Once I got to the truck and had my camera out he spooked. Later, when the sun had set, I heard him howling plaintively from the woods where I had last seen him and hours later his pack joined in.
Meanwhile, the Osprey have returned, the Great Blue Heron floated by, Buffleheads and Mergansers are diving among the Mallards and our two resident Canada Geese, Swallows dance, and at dusk the exuberant chorus of spring peepers grows nightly (the members of the "knot" rising and falling albeit with the temperatures). From our house we can hear the tiny frogs singing in the east, from the vernal pools hosted by the wetlands that encompass the passageway, as well in the wetlands to the north and west, all at one time made use of for cranberry growing in the long ago and far away. Slough Pond is a circle and every sound echoes and reverberates like a singing bowl open to the brilliant night sky where the stars themselves find their equivalent luminance on the watery blue surface below.
* Just in late today from the Facebook social media site that covers the herring migration: the Stony Brook Factory Village Gristmill and Museum, Brewster (The name of the account, under which they post this information, has never included mention of the Alewife Committee or Herring Run which I have always found odd, providing equal status for the mill and the run. See The Ponds page for historical archives of the mill, the run, and the committees.) ...224 herring have been counted in the last week. The site also updated the public on the restoration project, noting that the south side, (where the ladder opens to Lower Mill Pond and the site of the Grist Mill) will be closed to the public until late May when improvements will continue, no doubt in preparation for opening the mill museum for visitors and corn grinding. The north side of the ladder, below the road, is open. Unfortunately, this means we will not be able to observe that special moment when each herring slips into the pond after their long and arduous journey.
April 7
Here is the LINK to the joint meeting of the Brewster Conservation Commission and the Alewife Committee for Tuesday, April 8th @ 6pm at the Town Hall and virtually. This meeting has been posted at the eleventh hour with less than a week's lead time. The fish are already on their way in. Hopefully it will be simply to confirm the vote of the Alewife Committee on March 24th to keep open and manage to Slough Pond passage for 2025 in good faith. At that meeting, Chris Miller, Director of the Natural Resources Department. suggested that the committee schedule a meeting with the ConCom but neither the committee nor attending DMF biologist Brad Chase felt that was necessary. ConCom became more directly involved in the discussion about the passage in mid-December of 2024. (That information can be found under the December '24 Journal entries above.)
Pictured below the herring arriving at the Slough Pond passage last April.
Here is the LINK to the joint meeting of the Brewster Conservation Commission and the Alewife Committee for Tuesday, April 8th @ 6pm at the Town Hall and virtually. This meeting has been posted at the eleventh hour with less than a week's lead time. The fish are already on their way in. Hopefully it will be simply to confirm the vote of the Alewife Committee on March 24th to keep open and manage to Slough Pond passage for 2025 in good faith. At that meeting, Chris Miller, Director of the Natural Resources Department. suggested that the committee schedule a meeting with the ConCom but neither the committee nor attending DMF biologist Brad Chase felt that was necessary. ConCom became more directly involved in the discussion about the passage in mid-December of 2024. (That information can be found under the December '24 Journal entries above.)
Pictured below the herring arriving at the Slough Pond passage last April.
April 8
Slough Pond Report: gauge reads 4.5 units (5" is optimal for adult herring migration), no herring in passage, water level at 8.5"(optimal for herring migration), water temperature at 48°F (closer to 50° is optimal for migration), debris is scattered in channel, including pieces of broken culvert pipe, sand accumulation at culvert from run off, and leaves.
Slough Pond Report: gauge reads 4.5 units (5" is optimal for adult herring migration), no herring in passage, water level at 8.5"(optimal for herring migration), water temperature at 48°F (closer to 50° is optimal for migration), debris is scattered in channel, including pieces of broken culvert pipe, sand accumulation at culvert from run off, and leaves.
New sandbags were added and rearranged by someone in the last week and the considerable number of stones from December's barricade were moved aside, but no digging out of sand accumulation. Depth here is 2.5" (5" is optimal for adult migration.)
Sandbag evolution:
April (8), '24; April (1), '25; December (16), '24;
December (12), '24; October, '24; September, '24:
April, '24; May, '24; May,' 23:
April (8), '24; April (1), '25; December (16), '24;
December (12), '24; October, '24; September, '24:
April, '24; May, '24; May,' 23:
April 9
Here is a link to the video recording of last night's joint meeting of the Alewife Committee and the Conservation Commission. The agenda was the Slough Pond passage. The meeting went well; see for yourselves.
We are grateful for the attention being paid to the Slough Pond fish passage and that the Conservation Commission is working closely with the Division of Marine Fisheries' biologist Brad Chase. A renewed and revised Stream Maintenance Plan is underway between those parties (and the NRD and AC) as the present agreement expires in February of 2026 which coincides with the completion of the DMF's Habitat and Nursery Study.
With all the attention paid to, and unanimously voted on, the Slough Pond passage plan for '25, it is our hope that action on the ground will be taken in a timely and professional manner. In the past, there have been actions taken without coordination, documentation, or transparency between the wardens and the NRD crew which, if continued, will not honor the plan voted on for this year. From what we understand the Alewife Committee's voting members advise and the Alewife Committee's working wardens work, some of those wardens hold both roles. but who sets the agenda for that work and its schedule is unclear. The fish are coming in now.
Meanwhile, with the return of the sun, a Blue-winged Teal graced our pond waters today.
Here is a link to the video recording of last night's joint meeting of the Alewife Committee and the Conservation Commission. The agenda was the Slough Pond passage. The meeting went well; see for yourselves.
We are grateful for the attention being paid to the Slough Pond fish passage and that the Conservation Commission is working closely with the Division of Marine Fisheries' biologist Brad Chase. A renewed and revised Stream Maintenance Plan is underway between those parties (and the NRD and AC) as the present agreement expires in February of 2026 which coincides with the completion of the DMF's Habitat and Nursery Study.
With all the attention paid to, and unanimously voted on, the Slough Pond passage plan for '25, it is our hope that action on the ground will be taken in a timely and professional manner. In the past, there have been actions taken without coordination, documentation, or transparency between the wardens and the NRD crew which, if continued, will not honor the plan voted on for this year. From what we understand the Alewife Committee's voting members advise and the Alewife Committee's working wardens work, some of those wardens hold both roles. but who sets the agenda for that work and its schedule is unclear. The fish are coming in now.
Meanwhile, with the return of the sun, a Blue-winged Teal graced our pond waters today.
April 14
After days of rain I expected more than a quarter inch rise on the pond gauge. A visit down to the passage presented one reason why- water flowing steadily over the sand bag weir. Once again I noted the buildup of sand from this current that creates a long stretch of shallow water for the fish- once they arrive- to navigate. At the other end of the passage the water is deep and easily navigated by our Mallard couple. Noted too that the Fiddlehead ferns have emerged.
Perhaps the warden down at the ladder is "running it hard" as he does in the spring which would pull water from the headwater ponds, reducing their depth. I am not a hydrologist however. I have heard that the velocity down there is quite strong and hard for the herring to navigate. The numbers are troubling:
in 2023 the count on April 16 was 25,000, up to 50,228 on the 17th;
last year, 2024, between April 3-11 (when the electronic counter was installed) 3,371 herring were counted, up to 102,328 by the 19th;
whereas this year's count, 2025, between March 26 and April 14 is a mere 622 fish.
After days of rain I expected more than a quarter inch rise on the pond gauge. A visit down to the passage presented one reason why- water flowing steadily over the sand bag weir. Once again I noted the buildup of sand from this current that creates a long stretch of shallow water for the fish- once they arrive- to navigate. At the other end of the passage the water is deep and easily navigated by our Mallard couple. Noted too that the Fiddlehead ferns have emerged.
Perhaps the warden down at the ladder is "running it hard" as he does in the spring which would pull water from the headwater ponds, reducing their depth. I am not a hydrologist however. I have heard that the velocity down there is quite strong and hard for the herring to navigate. The numbers are troubling:
in 2023 the count on April 16 was 25,000, up to 50,228 on the 17th;
last year, 2024, between April 3-11 (when the electronic counter was installed) 3,371 herring were counted, up to 102,328 by the 19th;
whereas this year's count, 2025, between March 26 and April 14 is a mere 622 fish.
April 15- 18
A slight increase in the herring count on the 15th, up to 876, an increase of 162 herring, and then a little over a doubling to 1,939 on the 18th. A good sign..
A slight increase in the herring count on the 15th, up to 876, an increase of 162 herring, and then a little over a doubling to 1,939 on the 18th. A good sign..
April 20
A gloriously sunny and warm Easter Sun -day for the Slough Pond report:
The passage has adequate water levels throughout for the herring to pass, roughly 4" -10", though none have yet arrived. The problem areas, closest to the mouth of Slough, are the most shallow, at 4", as no work has been done to dig out accumulated sand, nor any adjustment to the sandbags, which are still allowing water to flow in. An extra inch here would make life that much easier for the traveling fish. We hear this work is pending. The Fiddlehead ferns are emerging, as are the Mayflowers, along the stream and in the woods, more so than ever due to the clearing by Mosquito Control last December, allowing more light and space for the flora to habituate...
A gloriously sunny and warm Easter Sun -day for the Slough Pond report:
The passage has adequate water levels throughout for the herring to pass, roughly 4" -10", though none have yet arrived. The problem areas, closest to the mouth of Slough, are the most shallow, at 4", as no work has been done to dig out accumulated sand, nor any adjustment to the sandbags, which are still allowing water to flow in. An extra inch here would make life that much easier for the traveling fish. We hear this work is pending. The Fiddlehead ferns are emerging, as are the Mayflowers, along the stream and in the woods, more so than ever due to the clearing by Mosquito Control last December, allowing more light and space for the flora to habituate...
April 22
Earth Day.
Earth Day.
April 25
The day has finally arrived, the herring have made it all the way to the Slough Pond passage, but not yet into the pond. The sandbags are still in place preventing that, as well as an accumulation of sand which has made the water level too shallow at the final end of the passage. In the meantime, spawning was noted along the shore of Walker's Pond, by the entrance to the passageway, and farther out Swans guarding their annual nest by the break.
We await the wardens now, not the herring, as this work to support the fish passage here was voted on by not only the Alewife Committee but the Town's Conservation Commission.
The day has finally arrived, the herring have made it all the way to the Slough Pond passage, but not yet into the pond. The sandbags are still in place preventing that, as well as an accumulation of sand which has made the water level too shallow at the final end of the passage. In the meantime, spawning was noted along the shore of Walker's Pond, by the entrance to the passageway, and farther out Swans guarding their annual nest by the break.
We await the wardens now, not the herring, as this work to support the fish passage here was voted on by not only the Alewife Committee but the Town's Conservation Commission.
April 29
I sent an email yesterday notifying various Town departments that herring had finally arrived in the Slough passage last week and their safe passage needed to be attended to. I further understood that a warden was discouraged from that attempt. Here is an excerpt:
"The herring have arrived in the Slough Pond passage. They have been here since Friday, April 25. They have made it through the culvert and as far as the curve before turning back. Why- because the sandbags are still in place and the water is too shallow in the 200 yards (feet) beyond the mouth of Slough due to sand accumulation.
No maintenance work has been done this spring although I have brought this to your attention for several weeks, if not months, anticipating the herrings’ arrival. The Alewife Committee and the Conservation Commission, as you know, worked hard on this issue and voted unanimously to manage the passage effectively this year. And, as you are well aware, this is the final year of the Division of Marine Fisheries’s habitat study commissioned by the Town which includes Slough Pond."
I received an informative, formal email from the Natural Resources Department this morning in response that felt rather patronizing. Here is an excerpt:
"Thank you for reaching out with your concerns regarding fish passage through the connector between Slough Pond and Walkers Pond. We appreciate your interest in the health of our local waterways and fisheries.
The Natural Resource Department, in coordination with the Herring Wardens, has been closely monitoring this area over the past month. Both agencies have increased patrols to track water levels and assess fish movement through the connector. We are pleased to report that fish were observed in the connector this past weekend (April 26–27). In response, both departments mobilized to make adjustments to support fish passage.
Specifically, we modified the sandbags at the Slough Pond end of the connector to create a small V-notch, which should allow for improved fish movement while maintaining water levels in Slough Pond. We believe this change will enhance water depth in the connector, thereby assisting migrating fish during this critical period.
You may be aware that Cape Cod Mosquito Control (CCMC) recently conducted routine maintenance in the area to improve water flow. Their efforts widened and deepened the connector, which supports CCMC’s objectives but presents challenges for managing water levels — a key concern for the Herring Wardens.
Regarding further work in the stream, the Natural Resource Department operates under the Stony Brook Mill Stream Channel Maintenance Plan issued by MA Fisheries and Wildlife. This plan authorizes our department to conduct limited fishway maintenance using hand tools to remove small amounts of sediment. Historically, this work has been done carefully and in moderation. However, CCMC’s recent maintenance involved significantly more sediment removal, with larger amounts deposited along the banks.
Given the scale of that activity, the Conservation Department has advised against adding new material onto the stream bank. Instead, they have requested that any further sediment removal be carried out using wheelbarrows to completely remove material from the site. Unfortunately, this is a labor-intensive task that exceeds the current capacity of our department.
We will continue to monitor conditions closely and will make further adjustments as necessary to balance ecological needs with practical constraints. Your continued engagement is valuable, and we encourage you to stay in touch as the season progresses."
It should be noted that we and many in the neighborhood have not noticed any "close monitoring"* in the area and this is the first we have heard, as it was not mentioned in any of the public meetings, about the new conditions regarding sediment removal. Sediment removal was specifically addressed recently by DMF Biologist Brad Chase, who wrote the "Stream Maintenance Plan" for the Town, at one such public meeting on March 24th (see Videos, under Resources) which would seem to refute this condition. Evidently the excellent work accomplished by the Mosquito Control crew last fall, following their own State mandate, is not resolved and has become an easy target and an excuse for inaction. This present situation could and should have been avoided.
As far as monitoring, the sandbag placement for the past several weeks has allowed water to slosh over it with accompanying sand when it should have restricted water movement to build up the level in the passage in anticipation for the herrings' arrival. The "V-shape" formation positioning, which must have taken place yesterday or today, is inadequate. The deteriorated sandbags that were placed to control runoff on the dirt road into the passage were not attended to. (*The dated photographs that the NRD and AC are now required to take per order of the CC, as of the April 8th joint meeting, should provide evidence of their "close monitoring" visits.)
The director of the Natural Resources Department maintains publicly, when questioned, that the Alewife Committee acts independently and they support them, but it seems to be the other way around. It is a matter of public record at this point that they would like to close this herring passage down permanently. What better way then to block the fry from their out migration to the sea, as was done in December, and to allow sand to accumulate so that it becomes impassable for the migrating herring in the spring.
One is left to assume, from all the evidence, that the agent of the Conservation Commission, who works for the Natural Resources Department, and the Natural Resources Department came to the decision to not dig any accumulated sand from the passage, privately, behind closed doors as it were. At the public meetings of the Alewife Committee and the Conservation Commission this spring this information was never openly shared as both committees voted to maintain the passage in 2025.
It's too late for the alewives now, or is it... somehow those resilient herring struggle on, some on their sides, the larger, older males, skittering across the sandy shallows, trying to make it home; some will, some won't, but it is pretty heartbreaking to watch them suffer.
I sent an email yesterday notifying various Town departments that herring had finally arrived in the Slough passage last week and their safe passage needed to be attended to. I further understood that a warden was discouraged from that attempt. Here is an excerpt:
"The herring have arrived in the Slough Pond passage. They have been here since Friday, April 25. They have made it through the culvert and as far as the curve before turning back. Why- because the sandbags are still in place and the water is too shallow in the 200 yards (feet) beyond the mouth of Slough due to sand accumulation.
No maintenance work has been done this spring although I have brought this to your attention for several weeks, if not months, anticipating the herrings’ arrival. The Alewife Committee and the Conservation Commission, as you know, worked hard on this issue and voted unanimously to manage the passage effectively this year. And, as you are well aware, this is the final year of the Division of Marine Fisheries’s habitat study commissioned by the Town which includes Slough Pond."
I received an informative, formal email from the Natural Resources Department this morning in response that felt rather patronizing. Here is an excerpt:
"Thank you for reaching out with your concerns regarding fish passage through the connector between Slough Pond and Walkers Pond. We appreciate your interest in the health of our local waterways and fisheries.
The Natural Resource Department, in coordination with the Herring Wardens, has been closely monitoring this area over the past month. Both agencies have increased patrols to track water levels and assess fish movement through the connector. We are pleased to report that fish were observed in the connector this past weekend (April 26–27). In response, both departments mobilized to make adjustments to support fish passage.
Specifically, we modified the sandbags at the Slough Pond end of the connector to create a small V-notch, which should allow for improved fish movement while maintaining water levels in Slough Pond. We believe this change will enhance water depth in the connector, thereby assisting migrating fish during this critical period.
You may be aware that Cape Cod Mosquito Control (CCMC) recently conducted routine maintenance in the area to improve water flow. Their efforts widened and deepened the connector, which supports CCMC’s objectives but presents challenges for managing water levels — a key concern for the Herring Wardens.
Regarding further work in the stream, the Natural Resource Department operates under the Stony Brook Mill Stream Channel Maintenance Plan issued by MA Fisheries and Wildlife. This plan authorizes our department to conduct limited fishway maintenance using hand tools to remove small amounts of sediment. Historically, this work has been done carefully and in moderation. However, CCMC’s recent maintenance involved significantly more sediment removal, with larger amounts deposited along the banks.
Given the scale of that activity, the Conservation Department has advised against adding new material onto the stream bank. Instead, they have requested that any further sediment removal be carried out using wheelbarrows to completely remove material from the site. Unfortunately, this is a labor-intensive task that exceeds the current capacity of our department.
We will continue to monitor conditions closely and will make further adjustments as necessary to balance ecological needs with practical constraints. Your continued engagement is valuable, and we encourage you to stay in touch as the season progresses."
It should be noted that we and many in the neighborhood have not noticed any "close monitoring"* in the area and this is the first we have heard, as it was not mentioned in any of the public meetings, about the new conditions regarding sediment removal. Sediment removal was specifically addressed recently by DMF Biologist Brad Chase, who wrote the "Stream Maintenance Plan" for the Town, at one such public meeting on March 24th (see Videos, under Resources) which would seem to refute this condition. Evidently the excellent work accomplished by the Mosquito Control crew last fall, following their own State mandate, is not resolved and has become an easy target and an excuse for inaction. This present situation could and should have been avoided.
As far as monitoring, the sandbag placement for the past several weeks has allowed water to slosh over it with accompanying sand when it should have restricted water movement to build up the level in the passage in anticipation for the herrings' arrival. The "V-shape" formation positioning, which must have taken place yesterday or today, is inadequate. The deteriorated sandbags that were placed to control runoff on the dirt road into the passage were not attended to. (*The dated photographs that the NRD and AC are now required to take per order of the CC, as of the April 8th joint meeting, should provide evidence of their "close monitoring" visits.)
The director of the Natural Resources Department maintains publicly, when questioned, that the Alewife Committee acts independently and they support them, but it seems to be the other way around. It is a matter of public record at this point that they would like to close this herring passage down permanently. What better way then to block the fry from their out migration to the sea, as was done in December, and to allow sand to accumulate so that it becomes impassable for the migrating herring in the spring.
One is left to assume, from all the evidence, that the agent of the Conservation Commission, who works for the Natural Resources Department, and the Natural Resources Department came to the decision to not dig any accumulated sand from the passage, privately, behind closed doors as it were. At the public meetings of the Alewife Committee and the Conservation Commission this spring this information was never openly shared as both committees voted to maintain the passage in 2025.
It's too late for the alewives now, or is it... somehow those resilient herring struggle on, some on their sides, the larger, older males, skittering across the sandy shallows, trying to make it home; some will, some won't, but it is pretty heartbreaking to watch them suffer.
April 30
At my front door this morning- this is what it's come to. Not meant to intimidate me, so they say, but because I care, and to show that the Town cares, by way of the Natural Resources Department's Ryan Burch, an Environmental Police officer will be stationed at the Slough Pond fish passage. A little gaslighting with my morning coffee.
At my front door this morning- this is what it's come to. Not meant to intimidate me, so they say, but because I care, and to show that the Town cares, by way of the Natural Resources Department's Ryan Burch, an Environmental Police officer will be stationed at the Slough Pond fish passage. A little gaslighting with my morning coffee.
Because they care so much...
Thousands of herring trying to get to their natal pond again this morning, Slough Pond, but the Town will not allow any digging out of accumulated sand, nor will it remove the sandbags, only allowing a narrow opening, with the effect of stranding and predation in the passage and effectively blocking the migration.
