View the pdf here: Newsletter for June 2011
In this issue:
- Are you planning for the July 4th Boat Parade!? See parade details.
- The Essex Music Festival will be held August 27 at Centennial Grove.
- President Sue McLaughlin traces the rise and decline of the cabomba weed in the lake, noting mitigation steps residents can take.
- Robyn Kanter’s Designing with Nature column discusses the tree problem caused by winter moth catapillars.
- The Eastern Railroad was an amazing driver of the local economy a century ago. Loaded with photos, Keith Symmes’ history appears in the Yesteryear section.
- Also: Water level monitoring goes hi-tech. Another disappointing alewife season. Fresh water mussels keep the water clean. And more.
From the June 2011 newsletter:
Once again this spring, the Association participated in the annual alewife count coordinated by Peter Phippen of Eight Towns and the Bay. We sent observers to the Apple Street bridge on the weekends in April and May looking for alewife coming upstream to spawn in Chebacco Lake. Sadly, despite over 30 sessions, no alewife were spotted, suggesting that this year’s alewife population is probably down again.
Locally, we strive to keep Alewife Brook clear of any obstructions preventing the alewife run. Last summer, for example, Association volunteers worked with the Department of Marine Fisheries cutting back vegetation and removing debris. Nevertheless, it may be that the declining alewife population is a product of over-fishing in the Atlantic fisheries. Association Board Member Chuck Bencal, who works in the industry, reports that colossal fishing ships have been netting mackerel and herring for over a decade. Marine Fisheries has recently documented that lake herring schools (alewife) have been netted right alongside ocean herring. Fortunately, Marine Fisheries and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) have dramatically cut the allowable quota for this year. Hopefully, we’ll see the alewife population rebound in the years ahead.
These two diagnostic studies have provided extensive information on Chebacco Lake and lake managements issues. They are vital historical and technical references for anyone involved with current lake issues. They cover lake geology and hydrology, land and lake use, water quality and water level, septic systems and excessive nutrients, wildlife and aquatic weeds, among other issues.
We have created pdfs of both reports (a shoutout to Joe Brain!) which you can download here:
Lycott (1985): Chebacco Lake Diagnostic/ Feasibility Study
Salem State College (1998): Chebacco Lake Diagnostic Report
