Rare fish Halts Haverhill’s Plan to Dredge Merrimack River

The Newburyport News reports that Haverhill’s plans to dredge the Merrimack River from Newburyport to lure more boaters downriver to its shoreline has been shelled by a fish (pun intended). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has ruled the Haverhill stretch, particularly the waters off the downtown area, cannot be dredged because the work would disrupt the spawning areas of the shortnose sturgeon, a prehistoric-looking creature that lays eggs among rocks that would be removed during dredging, federal officials said.

Haverhill is looking to add public boat docks and build a riverwalk along the downtown stretch of the waterway, as well as enact new zoning to make sure future development does not block views of the river or public access to it. Workers are expected to start building two sections of the boardwalk this summer.

Read the entire Newburyport News article.