108 



cranberry interests at the headwaters with numerous small 

 dams, embankments and other obstructions, practically preclude 

 a successful fishery. 



SIPPICAN RIVER. 



The Sippican River, which connects Leonard's Pond with 

 Weweantit River, after a 9 or 10 mile course, is used for water 

 power and cranberry bogs. Below the dam at Leonard's Pond 

 the stream flows for some distance between stone walls, and 

 later forms Hathaway 's Pond, below which Doggett's Brook 

 enters. 



The fishery, which was established in 1808 by the town 

 of Rochester, has never been extensively operated, and the 

 brook is almost entirely given over to cranberry culture. If 

 alewives were permitted to reach Hathaway's and Leonard's 

 ponds for spawning, the fishery might become of some value 

 to the local community. 



MATTAPOISETT RIVER. 



This river, which has been the outlet of Snipatuit Pond ever 

 since an artificial channel was established, about 1755, flows 

 southerly for 10 miles to Mattapoisett Harbor. It varies 

 from 10 to 30 feet in width, and is used for flooding cranberry 

 bogs and for mill purposes. It flows over five dams and 

 through cranberry bogs to the "Upper Herring Weir," at 

 the North Rochester Road, below w T hich it continues through 

 swamp and woodland to the old dam at the "Middle Herring" 

 or "Church's Weir." Then it passes southerly through similar 

 country until it forms the millpond at Tinkham Lane, whence 

 it crosses the Fairhaven and Mattapoisett Road at the location 

 of the "Lower Herring Weir," and flows through cleared 

 meadow land to Mattapoisett Harbor. 



The fishery is controlled by three towns, Rochester, 

 Marion and Mattapoisett, which were originally part of the 

 old town of Rochester. Previous to 1917 it had always been 

 operated by these towns, and the profits or losses had been 

 apportioned according to the amount of taxable property in 

 each, with the result described in the first section of this 

 report. The natural abundance of fish in the stream is shown 



