Benefit bash Nov. 11 at Ocean Beach supports the cause

Alewife Cove is a naturally shallow estuary on Long Island Sound between Waterford and New London. It contains a tidal creek and marsh habitats separated from Long Island Sound by a barrier beach and dunes associated with Waterford Town Beach.

It is home to a great variety of wildlife such as ospreys, egrets, eagles, great blue herons and striped bass. The cove is a popular destination for fishing, kayaking, bird-watching, hiking, plein-air painting and photography.

The cove gets its name from the Alewife herring. As adults, these fish reside in the ocean waters, until springtime when they return to their native freshwater and estuarine environments to spawn.

Historically they were a plentiful food source in the cove for humans, other predatory fish, and several bird species. Their populations all over the Northeast have plummeted in recent decades due loss of habitat and obstructions, such as dams, to upstream spawning areas.

The Alewife Cove Conservancy, established in 2016, is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to the conservation, preservation and restoration of Alewife Cove. The conservancy promotes and supports citizen-science and youth and community actions to understand and design solutions for the complex challenges facing Alewife Cove.

The conservancy supports educational opportunities for regional students to understand and appreciate the cove and its interrelated ecosystems. As an example, New England Science and Sailing and Waterford High School regularly bring local students from public schools to participate in educational and recreational activities. NESS is particularly proud of their efforts to provide access to the waterway for underserved students.

The upper portions of the cove are impacted by accumulation of sediments and organic matter. Impacts to tidal flow and decreased water depths in the lower portion of the cove have resulted from deposition of sand within the tidal creek from large storms, especially Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Shallow water conditions within the cove interfere with and restrict recreational kayaking.

The accumulation of organic material, shallow waters, coupled with poor tidal exchange results in the release of nitrogen, increased algae growth, reduction of dissolved oxygen, obnoxious odors and elimination of bottom dwelling organisms such as clams and oysters.

In 1987, the Town of Waterford was granted permission by the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the lower portion of the cove and to construct a jetty at the cove entrance to improve the exchange of tidal waters and improve habitat conditions. Post-dredge studies conducted in 1989 and 1991 by the University of New Haven and UCONN’s Avery Point Department of Marine Sciences showed improved habitat conditions for bottom dwelling organisms.

It is the hope of the Alewife Cove Conservancy that similar restoration efforts can be accomplished in the near future, dependent on additional field research and the availability of grant moneys.

The Alewife Cove Conservancy is actively seeking grant moneys to perform detailed studies of the cove to evaluate options to improve habitat and to restore tidal flow in the cove. Details studies, including water depth surveys, tidal flow and sediment transport studies, identification of organisms living in or on cove sediments, and sediment sampling and characterization are needed to evaluate available options. These include dredging to improve habitat conditions and to support applications to regulatory agencies for permitted activities.

As conservancy co-chairman, Ed Lamoureux recently had the opportunity to assist “Explore New England,” along with kayaking guru and The Day’s outdoor columnist Steve Fagin in an exploration and filming of Alewife Cove for an upcoming television episode.

Coming up on Nov. 11 is the 3rd annual ACC Benefit Bash. The event will be held at Port ‘N Starboard on the beautiful Ocean Beach boardwalk. The event includes live music, food, auctions, raffles and a cash bar. Tickets are available on the Alewife Conservancy website, alewifecove.org or at the door.

Chris Allan is a board member of the Alewife Conservancy. Your Turn is a chance for readers to share stories, opinions and photos. To contribute, email times@theday.com.