Anadromous Fish Returns - Merrimack River

Merrimack River
Essex Dam, Lawrence, Massachusetts
Counts as of July 1, 2009
Species	Total Returns to Date
Atlantic Salmon	74
American Shad	22,675
River Herrings *	1,456
Striped Bass	33
Sea Lamprey	2,041

*River herring refers collectively to two fish species: blueback herring and alewife

Merrimack River
Pawtucket Dam, Lowell, Massachusetts
Counts as of June 25, 2009
Species	Total Returns to Date
Atlantic Salmon	0
American Shad	2,628
River Herrings *	140
Striped Bass	1
Sea Lamprey	260
American Eel	13

*River herring refers collectively to two fish species: blueback herring and alewife

Merrimack River
Amoskeag Dam, Manchester, New Hampshire
No fish passage counts
Species	Total Returns to Date
Atlantic Salmon	0
American Shad	0
River Herrings *	0
Striped Bass	0
Sea Lamprey	0
Gizzard Shad	0
*River herring refers collectively to two fish species: blueback herring and alewife

Historic Data
Anadromous Fish Returns
Merrimack River
Year	River Herring *	American Shad	Atlantic Salmon
1982			23
1983	4,794	5,629	114
1984	1,769	5,497	115
1985	23,112	12,793	213
1986	16,265	18,173	103
1987	77,209	16,909	139
1988	361,012	12,359	65
1989	378,973	7,875	84
1990	254,242	6,013	248
1991	379,588	16,098	332
1992	102,166	20,796	199
1993	14,027	8,599	61
1994	88,913	4,349	21
1995	33,425	13,861	34
1996	51	11,322	76
1997	403	22,661	71
1998	1,362	27,891	123
1999	7,898	56,461	185
2000	19,405	72,800	82
2001	1,550	76,717	83
2002	526	54,586	56
2003	10,866	55,620	147
2004	15,051	36,593	129
2005	99	6,382	34
2006	1,257	1,205	91
2007	1,169	15,876	74
2008	108	25,116	119
TOTAL	1,788,869	612,185	3,021
All counts were taken at the Essex Dam Fish Lift in Lawrence, Massachusetts *River Herring refers collectively to two fish species: blueback herring and alewife

For further information about anadromous fish returns to the Merrimack River, please contact us.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service