SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 257 



little to be said favorable to further work of this nature unless improve- 

 ment be made in the conditions of the river. Were this accomplished, 

 artificial propagation could doubtless greatly increase the run of fish; 

 aud if suitable restrictions were applied to the fisheries the shad reach- 

 ing the spawning-beds between Haddam and Windsor Locks might also 

 tend to keep up the supply. 



Farmington Biver. — The Farmington is the only one of the several 

 tributaries of the Connecticut that has yielded shad during recent 

 years. It rises in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, and, flowing a 

 distance of 75 miles, enters the Connecticut about 5 miles above Hart- 

 ford. At Poquonock, 5 miles above the mouth, there is a log dam 4 or 

 5 feet high and 264 feet long, entirely crossing the river. Above this 

 point there are numerous other dams at short distances, forming a 

 complete barrier to the asceut of fish. Formerly the shad fisheries 

 of Farmington Biver were of some local importance, but during the 

 past ten or twelve years the catch has been small. In 1881 the yield 

 numbered 11,505, in 1882 it was 3,S00, aud in 1883 but 1,155 shad were 

 caught. Since then the yield has been very small, except in 1885, when 

 3,400 shad were caught by seines. In 1896 one seine was used to 

 obtain spawn for the State hatchery, catching about 500 shad, which 

 represents the full extent of the fisheries during that year. 



HOUSATONIC RIVER. 



This river rises near Pittsfield in the western portion of Massachu- 

 setts, and, after flowing a distance of 123 miles, enters Long Island 

 Sound 4 miles east of Bridgeport. It is navigable for 13 miles to 

 Derby, where it receives its principal tributary, Naugatuck Biver, a 

 small rapid stream. A mile or so above Derby the Housatonic is 

 crossed by a stone dam 22 feet high and 636 feet in length, completed 

 in 1870 at a cost of $430,000, and developing 1,500 horsepower, used for 

 various manufacturing purposes. The usual spring-freshet depth over 

 the crest is 4 or 5 feet. A fishway was built in this obstruction, the 

 designs being furnished by the late Mr. Foster, of Maine. Very soon 

 thereafter it appeared that shad would not pass above this dam, not 

 even attempting to enter the fishway, although many were seen in 

 immediate proximity to the lower end. The fishway was destroyed by 

 freshets in 1873 and has not been rebuilt. Above Birmingham the fall 

 of the Housatonic is very great, averaging 8 feet per mile. There are 

 a few dams, the most important one of which is at Lanesville, where 

 the fall obtained is 12 feet. Very few shad pass above the Birming- 

 ham dam, and none appear to go beyond Lanesville, 40 miles above the 

 mouth. In the early part of the present century, previous to the erec- 

 tion of obstructions on the river, shad ascended to Falls Village, 73 

 miles from Long Island Sound. At that point the river falls abruptly 

 over limestone ledges a total distance of 100 feet, forming a complete 

 barrier to the further ascent of fish. 



It was reported in 1883 that 11 seines on the Housatonic caught 

 F. R. 98 17 



