Historical and Recent Trends in River Herring Spawning Densities in the Taunton River: More Drivers Than Just the Damn Dams

River herring (Alosa pseudoharengus and A. aestivalis) are an important forage fish for upper level trophic predators, such as striped bass (Morone saxatilis), cod (Gadus morhua), and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), with associated recreational, commercial, and restoration implications. Since the 1970s, river herring populations in New England have declined dramatically for several reasons, including dams, habitat degradation, fishing, and bycatch. The National Marine Fisheries Service classifies river herring as a species of special concern and a candidate species for listing under the endangered species act. The Taunton River, located in southeastern Massachusetts, runs free-flowing for approximately 40 miles and is considered to have had one of the largest historic river herring runs in the region. Despite high levels of historical industrial water pollution, river herring runs have persisted (albeit significantly below their historic levels).   In-river itchyoplankton tows, associated with an impingement and entrainment study in Dighton, Massachusetts, have been conducted over the last seven years and provide recent trends in river herring spawning densities. Recent and historical river herring spawning densities in the Taunton River were analyzed with the available literature to determine relative spawning densities in one of the only free-flowing rivers in New England.