Climate Change Challenge
Coastal flooding and severe weather
Project Alignment with ResilientMass Plan Priority Actions
This project addresses the following 2023 ResilientMass Plan priority action: Restoring water quality and connectivity in coastal streams
Climate Resilience Project Scope
MassWildlife utilized ResilientMass funding to further conservation and restoration of six important coastal streams including Red Brook, Quashnet River, Mashpee River, Santuit River, Marstons Mills River and Coonamesset River. Resilient Mass funds enabled the purchase of real time water level and temperature monitoring equipment to be installed in the river systems at key locations to assist in monitoring and managing stream flow, to identify system stressors (e.g., warming water temperatures, changes to streamflow), and aid in planned restoration efforts in each stream. The first system was installed in Red Brook and it has been instrumental to improving management of the herring fishway and is providing critical data that will be used in the current restoration planning and future fishway/dam replacement projects.
Metrics and Results
Water temperature trends are being monitored. Abrupt increases in water temperatures, particularly when not reflected by air temperatures, often signals that gates at the outlet of upstream ponds have been opened. This can cause a large influx of warm water downstream which can disrupt or halt spawning migration by herring.
Best Practices and Lessons Learned
Monitoring of sensors requires a lot of time and dedication as the only way to curb detrimental effects from warm water influxes is to immediately respond at specific pond outlets. MassWildlife has been working with partners to identify other stakeholders that can help in this capacity.
Further Action
Other monitors will be deployed in 2026. Coordination with partners needs to be completed before the next spawning season.