77 



without fishways, — a condition due to the laxity in law en- 

 forcement on the part of the town of Newbury. Considering 

 its present unproductive status, and the several impassable 

 dams on the river, reclamation of this fishery, though possible, 

 does not present the attractive opportunities offered by many 

 other streams. 



Rowley River. 

 Rowley River, formed by the junction of Bull and Muddy 

 brooks, flows through the town of Rowley to Plum Island 

 Sound. On a branch of Bull Brook is located the pumping 

 station and reservoir of the Ipswich Water Works, which would 

 not interfere in any way with an alewife fishery. Just above 

 the pumping station on Bull Brook is the only evidence of 

 artificial obstruction, — the remains of an ancient sawmill dam. 

 The stream bed is rocky, and in some places has a fall of 25 

 feet in 200 yards. The fishery has always been public, and a 

 few alewives are occasionally seen as far up as the Water 

 Works, but the absence of a suitable pond for spawning renders 

 impossible the maintenance of a successful commercial fishery. 



Ipswich River. 



The Ipswich River has its origin at the junction of Lubber 

 and Maple Meadow brooks, Wilmington, and flows in a north- 

 easterly direction for 20 miles to Plum Island Sound, receiving 

 many tributaries. Formerly there was a greater flow of water 

 in the river, several tributary ponds now being used as water 

 supplies. 



Among these is Great Pond or Forest Lake, taken as a water 

 supply for Danvers in 1876, which is connected with the Ips- 

 wich River by a stream 1| miles long, upon which a fishery 

 was maintained until about 1880 by the town of Middleton. 

 Humphrey's Pond Brook, which flows from Suntaug Lake, a 

 water supply for Peabody, also empties into the Ipswich River. 

 It is obstructed by two dams, at Phelps' Mills and at the Sun- 

 taug Lake Outlet. Although fishways were located at these 

 points thirty-five years ago, but few alewives came up the 

 stream. Pritchard's Pond is connected with Ipswich River 

 through Howlett's and Mile brooks, on both of which are 

 sawmill dams. Here a public fishery was established in 1803, 



