South Hadley, Ma. ¡ On Tuesday, February 26, at 7:00 p.m., Tom Miner, Co-Director of the Connecticut River Watershed Council, will give a talk about, "Busting Dams and Building Fishways: Restoring Migratory Fish" The lecture will be held in Gamble Auditorium, Mount Holyoke College. It is free, open to the public and wheelchair accessible.

Dams block access to spawning habitats for many migratory fish due to industrial development along rivers and streams over the past three centuries. This development has left a legacy of more than 1,000 dams throughout the Connecticut River Valley. Miner will describe the work of his organization to restore our local fish populations, from initial studies of potential benefits, to removing some derelict dams, and installing Fishways at others.

Miner has co-directed the Connecticut River Watershed Council with his wife, Whitty Sanford, for the past 10 years, and has directed nonprofit organizations dedicated to protecting the environment in New York state and New England for the past 25 years.

This year marks the Connecticut River Watershed Council's 50th anniversary as a citizen's advocate group for cleaning up, restoring, and protecting the entire Connecticut River, from its source at the Canadian border to Long Island Sound.

This talk is part of a continuing lecture series sponsored by The Center for Environmental Literacy (CEL) at Mount Holyoke College. This popular lecture series, began last year, highlights and explores our special places and open spaces in the Valley. The series focus is on the issues of historical context, air, water and sprawl.