As part our Holistic Stream Assessment/Restoration project on Cheesecake Brook in Newton, Massachusetts, NFC recently posted a series of volunteer fish reporting signs. The goal is to solicit the help of the public in regard to identifying large fish and schooling utilizing the stream.

While Cheesecake Brook was previously believed to be fishless, NFC and our partners have confirmed the presence of wild native white suckers, pumpkinseed sunfish, and American eels. There are also nonnative common carp present. Several other species were confirmed downstream of an impediment to fish passage including native redbreast sunfish, and nonnative yellow bullhead, fathead minnow, and an errant rainbow trout.

While there is a notable impediment to fish passage on the brook just upstream of its confluence with the Charles River, NFC believes some fish from the river may be getting past it. Specifically, we have only confirmed juvenile white suckers in the stream. We believe it is possible that adult suckers are spawning in the stream undetected during high off-color spring flows.

River herring spawn in the Charles River and some of its tributaries. While none have been confirmed in Cheesecake Brook, they have been confirmed further upriver is a similar size tributary. Again, it is possible that some herring are gaining access to the brook undetected or trying to do so.

Unable to support 7x24 surveillance on Cheesecake Brook during spawning season and throughout the year, NFC is hoping that people who walk along the stream as part of their daily lives can help by reporting any large fish or schooling fish they see, or fish attempting to get past the impediment.

While NFC has done numerous informational sign projects across a dozen or so states, and involving many different species and various messages, the Cheesecake Brook signs are unique in that they involve several firsts for NFC.

These are the first signs NFC has done with a QR code. Prior to this we had been unable to get the print quality needed to provide reliable QR code reads. While more expensive than our standard vendor, we found a printer who could provide a much higher print quality that results in very reliable reads.

This is also the first time that NFC has used a custom online form to collect data. The form is accessed via the QR code on the sign as well as a button on the Cheesecake Brook campaign page. We also provide an email address on the sign for those who are not comfortable with QR codes.

Not only will these signs help collect data in regard to fish presence and movement, they will help inform and engage the public in regard to the fact that there is life in their stream. For generations, our urban streams have been viewed as primarily storm drains. NFC looks to change that…