Project to restore 10 Mile River fish pop.

EAST PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Department of Environmental Management, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other officials last week announced the Ten Mile River Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Project, a project aiming to restore anadromous fish populations to the lower portion of the Ten Mile River watershed.
The project will draw on more than $1.5 million in federal funding, secured by U.S. Sen. Jack Reed. The 56-square-mile Ten Mile River watershed includes a 5-square-mile area located in Rhode Island and 51 square miles situated in southeastern Massachusetts.
According to a DEM news release, for more 200 years, dams have blocked anadromous river herring and American shad from their historic spawning grounds in the Ten Mile River watershed. Anadromous fish live as adults in salt water, but must return to freshwater to spawn. The restoration project will include construction of fish passage facilities at the first three dams on the river: Omega Pond Dam, Hunt’s Mill Dam and Turner Reservoir Dam.
The project is being constructed in two phases. Construction of fish passages at Turner Reservoir and Hunt’s Mill Dams began this month, and plans and specifications for the fish ladder at Omega Pond Dam are being finalized and are expected to begin next spring. &#8226