By Beth David, Editor
Visitors to The Sawmill in Acushnet last week noticed lots of fish that had died in the river.
According to Acushnet Animal Control Officer Rebekah Tomlinson, it happens every year. Because of a lack of oxygen in the water and the extremely dry summer we had this year, it happened earlier than usual.
The Buzzards Bay Coalition owns the property, which is open to the public. Ms. Tomlinson posted on Facebook that the BBC was aware of the fish die-off and decided to leave them there to let other wildlife feed off them.
The Neighb News’s intrepid photographer, Glenn C. Silva, ventured out on Monday, but the dead fish were already gone. However, he caught sight of loads of very alive menhaden, aka peanut bunker, a bait fish, as identified by Allen Decker and Sara Quintal of the BBC.
The park is at 32 Mill Road in Acushnet at the site of the old Acushnet Sawmill. In addition to the Acushnet River flowing through it, the park features walking trails, wheelchair accessible trails, marshland, and lots of wildlife. The herring swim upstream at this spot, using a nature-life fishway to help them along their way.
-
- The informational sign by the freshwater marsh on 9/8/20 at The Sawmill in Acushnet, a Buzzards Bay Coalition-owned park open to the public, invites people to leave the noises of the city behind them. and listen to the douns of nature. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
-
- The water at the northern end of the Acushnet River at The Sawmill, a Buzzards Bay Coalition-owned park open to the public, is extremely low on 9/8/20 after months of little rainfall and one of the warmest summers on record. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
-
- Menhaden, aka, peanut bunker, swarm in the Acushnet River at The Sawmill in Acushnet on 9/8/20, a Buzzards Bay Coaltion-owned park open to the public. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
-
- Menhaden, aka, peanut bunker, swarm in the Acushnet River at The Sawmill in Acushnet on 9/8/20, a Buzzards Bay Coaltion-owned park open to the public. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
-
- The footbridge keeps watch over the fishway at The Sawmill in Acushnet on 9/8/20, a Buzzards Bay Coalition-owned park open to the public. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
-
- The stone fishway along the Acushnet River at The Sawmill, a Buzzards Bay Coalition-owned park open to the public, is bereft of flowing water on 9/8/20, a condition that probably contributed to a fish die-off the week before. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
-
- Geese and ducks share a shrinking river at the The Sawmill in Acushnet on 9/8/20, a Buzzards Bay Coalition-owned park open to the public, where a fish die-off last week was probably caused by low water. Photo by Glenn C. Silva.
•••
Support local journalism, donate to the Neighb News with PayPal.
Click here to download the entire 9/10/20 issue: 09-10-20 SawmillWaterfowl
