This presentation discusses coastal stream restoration efforts in Massachusetts to support sea run brook trout populations. It provides examples of restoration projects on Red Brook and the Quashnet River that involved removing small dams, adding large woody debris, and transplanting brook trout between rivers. Monitoring with PIT tags showed trout moving between freshwater and marine habitats and spawning in restored sections. The presentation also discusses historical reports of brook trout in Fresh Brook in Wellfleet and the potential for restoring habitat there through dam removal.

2. About this Presentation
• Created by Michael Hopper and Geoffrey Day
• Many slides came from Steve Hurley, South
East District Manager, Mass Wildlife
– Presentation was originally to the Squan-a-Tissit
Chapter of Trout Unlimited in approximately 2010
– Michael Hopper, Geof Day, Warren Winders and
Steve Angers began formally working on creating the
Sea Run Brook Trout Coalition in 2009 with formal
501-c-3 recognition granted in 2011.
– Learn more about SRBTC at www.searunbrookie.org

3. Coastal Stream Restoration

5. Red Brook is a 4.5 mile long salter brook trout
stream
The headwaters are owned by cranberry growers, the
A.D. Makepeace Co.
The stream then runs through the Red Brook
Wildlife Management Unit.
The brook enters Buttermilk Bay at the Lyman
Reserve, owned by the Trustees of Reservations.
Red Brook Reserve totals 1,100+ acres, is jointly
managed by TTOR, MassWildlife and TU.

6. Mouth of Red Brook

7. Tidal section of Red Brook

8. Tidal pool at dead low water

9. 16 inch Red Brook Salter

10. Red Brook Salter

11. “Football” from Red Brook
June 1, 2007. Note the small head and very fat body;
this indicates rapid growth in the marine environment.

12. Salter June 2008

13. Reasons for Decline
• Dams
• Cranberry Bogs
• Overfishing
• Development
• Introduced Species

14. Wild Brook Trout Streams of
Massachusetts

15. Dams!
• Trap Sediment
• Block Fish
Passage
• Warm water
• Safety Issues

16. Massachusetts Dams
Over 2645 Dams

17. Road culverts may act as mini dams
and impact fish passage
Prevent Fish From
Seeking Refuge
Habitats

18. Previous Work on Quashnet
- Annual census (Hurley, MA DFW)
Total Number of Fish Sampled
0
50
100
150
200
250
1985
1987
1989
1991
1992
1994
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
Brook Trout
Brown Trout
end of brown trout stocking
(no data)

19. Objective
Identify what migration patterns exist today
How many fish move?
What size fish move?
How far do fish move within the river?
? ?

20. Steve Hurley & Andrew Tweel

21. PIT Tags
Assign unique ID to fish
No battery
Tiny, low impact to fish
Inserted into abdominal
cavity

22. Inserting PIT tag

23. Stationary Antenna
-Tag #
-Date/Time
-Travel
Direction
at head of tide

24. Quashnet data recorder and
batteries in the “Box”

25. Portable Antenna
• Can be used throughout river
–Habitat usage
–Non-intrusive
• Will be used in future research

26. Spawning season – frequent up and down
movements, pattern continues throughout day
Observed Brook Trout Behaviors
Commuter - regularly scheduled movements.
Out at dusk, in before sunrise.
Migrants – Active, then no records for over
a month

27. Spawning activity- frequent up and down movements
pattern continues throughout day
Migrant- Active, then no records for over
a monthCommuter- regularly scheduled movements.
Out at dusk, in before sunrise
November December January February
noon
dusk
dawn

28. 2008 Fall Salter

29. • Small dam removal at Red Brook
2006,2008, 2009
• Work performed by A.D. Makepeace Co.,
funded by:
Massachusetts Division of Ecological
Restoration (Riverways Program),
American Rivers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, and others
Red Brook
Habitat
Improvement

30. Placement of Large Woody Debris

31. Robbins after dam removal

34. After Habitat Reconstruction

35. After Habitat Reconstruction

36. Waquoit Bay

37. Childs River
Restoration
• September 2006
Electrofishing
Surveys
• No brook trout
reproduction but
occasional wanderers
• Habitat was suitable
but trout broodstock
was lacking

38. • 19 trout moved from
Quashnet River on June
4 2008
• PIT tagged
• Adult fish 145 to 249 mm
• Included 3 recaptured
trout
Brook Trout Transplantation

39. Brook Trout
Transplanted into
Childs River June 4
2008

40. Homing Movement
• 7245232 174 mm
• Released into Childs
River June 4 2008
• No records until Nov.
2008
• Headed upstream on
Quashnet River
11/25/08
• Several detections in
March at Rt 28
• 3.7 miles through salt
water of Waquoit Bay
• Relocated in Childs
River Aug. 2009

41. Brook Trout Reproduction
confirmed in March 2009

42. Report of Frank Weston Benson
(1862 - 1951)
• April 2, 1893 -All drove to
Fresh Brook, South Wellfleet
to try for Trout. Tied the Horse
and fished down stream to the
Railroad [bridge]. In the pool
above the track F.W.B. [Frank
W. Benson] caught a half
pounder, then another half
pounder then a one pounder.
The others arrived and we
caught from the pool 13 more
fine Trout… The 15 fish
weighed 17 pounds after they
were brought home and
washed

43. Fresh Brook – Wellfleet
(AKA Trout Brook)
• 1914 Warden Report E.B. Mercata
-Excellent fishing, has been
stocked, never dries up
• Mullan, James W. 1957. A
fisheries investigation of Cape Cod
coastal streams “fishermen report
fair trout fishing last year (1955)

44. Fresh Brook - Wellfleet
• No recent reports of trout
• 2008 Electrofishing
Survey
• American eel
• Largemouth bass

45. Fresh Brook Wellfleet
Potential for coldwater restoration
• Blocked culverts under
old railroad now Cape
Cod Rail Trail
• Tidal restrictions at Route
6
• Primarily on Cape Cod
National Seashore
• Early signs of support
from CCNS, Mass
Audubon, town officials

46. Future Salter Trout From Fresh
Brook in Wellflleet??

47. Other Diadromous

48. Acknowledgements
• Steve Hurley, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and
Wildlife
• USGS Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory: Ben
Letcher, Todd Dubreuil, Matt O’Donnell
• Waquoit Bay NERR: Brendan Annett and Morgan Potter
• Trout Unlimited