Fishway to encourage river migration

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — State environmental officials say they're working with conservationists to build a so-called fishway on the Mattabesset River in East Berlin (BURR-'lin) to help American shad, river herring and other migratory fish reach prime habitat upstream.

The U-shaped fishway is being built around a dam that creates a pond used for water supply for emergency firefighting. Construction is expected to take about five or six weeks.

During spring spawning season, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will use video equipment to monitor the timing of the runs, species using the fishway and the number of fish passing through it.

State officials say they want to reverse the impact of dams that were built to power mills and blocked fish spawning runs that resulted in the demise of many fish runs.