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Quequechan River. — This stream, which is used for power 

 and for steam condensing by numerous Fall River mills, is 

 obstructed by several dams. It has its primary source in 

 Watuppa Pond, and secondarily rises in Stafford, Savoy and 

 Devol ponds, by way of Sucker Brook. It never had and 

 never can maintain an alewife fishery. 



Cook's Pond Brook. — The outlet of Cook's Pond, a largely 

 underground stream, is used for steam condensing, is obstructed 

 by dams and reservoirs, and receives pollution in the form of 

 hot water and waste materials from the mills. It can never 

 support an alewife fishery. 



The Alewife Fisheries of Nantucket. 



The absence of streams on Nantucket confines the alewife 

 fishery to brackish ponds which lie near the ocean. At the 

 east end of the island is Sachacha Pond, a large body of water 

 separated from the ocean by a narrow stretch of sandy beach, 

 through which it occasionally receives salt water. On the 

 south side of the island are Miacomet and Hummock ponds, 

 which are opened to the sea each year by cutting a ditch 

 through the beach. The outlets so made remain open for 

 about a week or ten days, and then close naturally, often pre- 

 venting young ale wives from returning to the salt water. The 

 main fishery of the island is conducted by the town at Long 

 Pond, which is connected by a ditch with Maddequet Harbor. 

 The greater portion of the fish from these ponds are utilized 

 for home consumption, although a few are shipped to market. 



Sachacha Pond. — Sachacha Pond, on the eastern end of the 

 Island of Nantucket, is about 150 acres in area, and separated 

 from the ocean by a sand beach. Very rarely the ocean 

 breaks through and establishes an outlet which remains open 

 for weeks or months. However, no outlet has been made 

 since 1902, and naturally no ale wives have entered during this 

 period, although the water has remained brackish because 

 the salt water occasionally comes over the beach at high tide. 



If a proper entrance were dug annually an excellent fishery 

 would ultimately result, but the expense of maintaining this 

 opening seems prohibitive. 



