Norwalk River Native Sea Lamprey Redd Survey

Native Sea Lamprey have returned! There's a new neighbor in the Norwalk River - volunteers from Mianus TU have documented native Sea Lamprey populations spawning for the first time in over 100 years after the Flock Processing Dam was removed in South Norwalk! While they look a little creepy and have a bad reputation from the Great Lakes where they are highly invasive, Sea Lamprey are native to coastal rivers of the Eastern United States and serve incredibly important ecological functions by improving trout spawning conditions and returning ocean nutrients to the river. 

Help Mianus TU and the State of Connecticut DEEP learn more about these incredible fish and track their population in the Norwalk River! Little is known about these rare fish, and this spawning survey will go a long way in terms of finding out more about these mysterious, prehistoric creatures.

Join us at noon in Merwin Meadows Park in Wilton to learn about these fish and how to identify a Sea Lamprey nest (redd). Then, we'll split up into teams and walk the whole river in sections from the Dana Dam at Merwin to Long Island Sound. All you need is a good pair of boots or waders, and plenty of water! We'll have all the materials you need to help us make this survey possible!