None The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut Press Releases Search All Press Releases Kerry Crisley 617-227-7017 ext. 316 kcrisley@tnc.org Nathan Frohling, 203-980-5149

Goodbye Dam, Hello Fish!

Partners restore East branch of Eightmile River

SALEM, CT — September 27, 2007 — Atlantic salmon, blueback herring, and American eel will swim a little easier in the Eightmile River system as partners remove the Zemko dam in Salem, Connecticut this month. The Zemko is the last remaining impediment to fish on the river’s East Branch.

To remove the structure – which is 80 feet long, 12 feet wide and five feet high – The Nature Conservancy teamed with American Rivers, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Restoration Center and numerous others.

In addition to improving fish passage, removal of the dam will restore th

“The Eightmile River system is one of the most outstanding in Connecticut, with high water quality and rich aquatic life,” said Lise Hanners, PhD, state director for The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut. “By removing this final barrier, we are improving the ecological integrity of the entire watershed and making it more resilient to the impacts of climate change.”  

"Christmas is coming early for folks in Connecticut," said Rebecca Wodder, President of American Rivers. "A thriving Eightmile River is the gift that keeps on giving, and one that everyone will be able to enjoy for generations to come."

The dam is located on a 247-acre property which the Conservancy purchased in stages in 2004 and 2006. The project will be conducted in phases over several weeks, during which the crew will temporarily divert the stream. In addition to removing the dam itself – which is made of stone, concrete and earth – the crew will also take measures to prevent erosion and will re-plant areas along the riverbank that are disturbed in the process.

"Migratory fish have been very important to the people and ecosystems of Connecticut but we almost lost them completely when we built dams on all of our rivers,” said Steve Gephard, Supervising Fisheries Biologist for the DEP’s Inland Fisheries Division. “The removal of the Zemko Dam not only brings migratory fish to the top of the Eightmile River watershed, a huge step in fish restoration, but makes the watershed one of the most accessible to fish in the state.  Coupled with the other important conservation work in the watershed, this work will become an important demonstration project on the benefits of opening up watersheds and will inspire similar projects elsewhere."

Looking forward, the Conservancy plans to open the new preserve to the public, and will provide an educational kiosk that focuses on the Eightmile River, its native fish species and the restoration of fish passage and river habitat.  The kiosk will also thank the numerous funders of the project, including NOAA’s Community-based Restoration Program, the Natural Resources Conservation, Connecticut’s Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, Restore America’s Estuaries and Save the Sound.

"NOAA's Community-based Restoration Program was established in 1996 to provide funding and technical assistance to local organizations interested in habitat restoration," said John Catena, NOAA Restoration Center's Northeast Regional Supervisor.  "Through a variety of local and national partnerships, NOAA has helped remove or is in the process of removing 66 dams throughout the Northeast. We are proud partners in the Zemko dam removal and look forward to continuing to support habitat restoration for NOAA trust resources."

“So many different partners came together to help make this happen,” said Nathan Frohling, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Lower Connecticut River Program. “We want the preserve to be a celebration of that partnership.”

The Eightmile River is currently being considered by Congress as a Wild and Scenic River. Its proposed designation was led by United State Representative Joe Courtney, which passed the House in July. It now awaits passage in the Senate. For more information on the Eightmile River, visit www.nature.org/Connecticut.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.