PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM), along with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, will begin preparations for a study of anadromous river herring in the Blackstone River today. The telemetry study, which will track fish movement and provide detailed information on their behavior, will inform the design of future fish passage.
As part of today''s preparations, brackets will be installed below the dam at Main Street in Pawtucket that will eventually hold 12 acoustic receivers used to track fish movement. The brackets will be drilled and anchored to the river's walls. As part of the study which kicks off later this month, approximately 100 herring will be tagged downstream of the dam in four separate collections during the fish migration this spring; the collections will be spaced out over the length of the run. The study will wrap up in June – with equipment removed from the river in July.
Other partners supporting the project include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pawtucket Hydro, and Blackstone Hydro Associates.
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