Volunteer River Herring Monitoring Program
A River Herring. (Chris Bowser)
This web page is dedicated to volunteers interested in looking for river herring in their local streams. We are currently monitoring 13 streams that drain into the Hudson River Estuary. Last year's data report, as well as information and materials for the upcoming monitoring season are available upon request. We can be reached by e-mail at r3hermon@gw.dec.state.ny.us or by phone at (845) 256-3172. If you are interested in volunteering, please indicate which tributary you would like to monitor.
Why Should I Care About River Herring?
Alewives and Blueback herring are two of four species in the Herring Family that migrate into the Hudson River and its tributaries to spawn. Due to similarities in range, appearance and life history, alewives and bluebacks are often grouped together as "river herring". These species play an important role in the Hudson River ecosystem and are also sought after by people for food and bait. For more detailed information on how river herring use the Hudson River, please follow this link to the Herring of New York page.
A school of river herring. (Byron Young)
Although a valuable resource, river herring stocks along the East Coast are declining. No single cause has been identified, but it is likely a combination of dams (which restrict their migrations into tributaries to spawn), invasive species such as the zebra mussel, over fishing, bycatch losses (caught in fisheries that target other species), and increases in predator populations.
Annual surveys carried out by the Hudson River Fisheries Unit (HRFU) provide information on spawning stock characteristics, but do not provide specific data on the runs in each tributary because of the shear area to cover; roughly 65 major tributaries spanning 152 miles. In 2008, this volunteer based, citizen science initiative collected information on spawning runs in nine tributaries within the Hudson River Estuary supplementing the HRFU data. Ninety-nine volunteers helped gather these data- this year you can add your help!
What Will I Do as a Volunteer?
A volunteer looking for river
herring in Black Creek
Volunteers will monitor (look for presence or absence) for river herring at a specific tributary in their area, usually viewing from a bridge or other good vantage points on the creek. During each monitoring trip, volunteers will fill out a simple data sheet to help answer the "3 W's" of herring monitoring:
Where: We want to know which tributaries are used for spawning. We can compare this information with historical records to evaluate the health of the spawning runs.
When: We want to know when herring are present in the tributaries (date, time of day, etc). Providing this information will help determine the length of the run, and detect if there are regional differences in the timing of herring arrival.
Why: The collection of environmental variables such as tide, water temperature, and cloud cover might help us figure out why herring use some tributaries more extensively than others and what influences their migration in and out of the tributaries.
Monitoring Instructions
A school of river herring. (Byron Young)
Monitoring will take place April 1st through May 31st. You should:
- Monitor your site at least twice a week, for 15 minutes*, look for signs of herring (fish in water, remains on the bank, or fisherman catches). Record All data on the data sheet, so everyone gathers the same information.*The 15 minute monitoring trip is important! If all volunteers monitor for the same amount of time, it allows for accurate comparisons of the data.
- Wait at least six hours before the next 15 minute monitoring event! A consistent time gap between trips lets us study changing environmental conditions that can affect herring runs, such as differences in cloud cover, water temperature, and tides.
- Monitor at your designated sites. If other volunteers visit the creek with you, please only fill out one report (but record everyone's name).
- Wear Polarized sunglasses, if you have them. They greatly reduce glare so you can see fish!
Contacts:
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for a tributary in your area please contact us via e-mail r3hermon@gw.dec.state.ny.us or by phone: (845)256-3172. Please indicate which tributary you would like to monitor.
We look forward to "herring" from you!
Acknowledgments
Thank you volunteers! You are an integral part of learning how these fish are part of the Hudson River.
This logo represents the Hudson River Estuary Program. Click for more information about our efforts to protect this important estuary.
More about Volunteer River Herring Monitoring Program:
- 2009 Volunteer Monitoring Sites - Map of the 2009 volunteer monitoring sites
