River Ecosystems

History of Human Influence on the Mystic River

The Pequot people built the first known village on the Mystic River, which they named Siccanemos. It had a large trade influence because it had a very strategic location along the river and near the coast.

After European colonization of the area, dams were built along the river and its tributaries, such as Whitford Brook. Dams can pose problems: they change the way rivers naturally flow and can prevent fish from migrating upstream. Through the present day, humans have also decreased the health of the Mystic River with pollution inputs like wastewater, excess nutrients (especially nitrogen and phosphorus), and trash.

The Alliance has worked to increase testing of water quality in the Mystic River. The data collected can be applied to the creation of a Watershed Resilience Action Plan to determine the areas of greatest concern, and then to begin to repair any harm done by pollutants or other harmful human activities.

Animals Native to Connecticut Rivers

There is a wide variety of creatures that live in, or depend on, rivers. Of course, there are many types of fishes including (but not limited to) lamprey, eels, sturgeons, trout, salmon, minnows, carps, silversides, killifishes, herrings, pike, pickerel, codfishes, bass, perches, darters, and sticklebacks.

Some of these fish are anadromous: they live in the ocean but swim upstream to spawn in rivers and spend the first portion of their lives in freshwater. In particular, shortnose sturgeon and Atlantic sturgeon used to be found in Connecticut rivers, but now they are mostly extirpated (locally extinct). Very recently, however, shortnose sturgeon have once again been found in the Connecticut River.

Besides fish, oysters, freshwater mussels, and crabs live in rivers. Additionally, beavers, otters, osprey, cormorants, herons, and other animals live near rivers and rely on them to provide a source of food.

River Importance

Rivers are highly important ecosystems. They provide humans and other animals with a source of freshwater for drinking and cleaning, as well as fish and other river creatures which we eat. Humans specifically use river water in agriculture. The flow of river water also dilutes pollutants that are added to river water, and it carries them downstream away from their source. Because of all the services rivers provide, it is imperative that we work to decrease river pollution and keep our environment clean!

Information compiled from CT DEEP (Migratory Fish Runs of Connecticut, Families of Connecticut Freshwater Fishes), USFWS