What’s Behind the Dead Fish and
the Missing Fragmites at Red Bridge?
by Judy SIlberstein
( September 11, 2002) Is something fishy going on
at Red Bridge? On Wednesday morning, neighbors reported
the fish were dying and the tall fragmite reeds were
disappearing. Maria Stanton, whose property backs onto
the River noticed the unusual appearance of the water
and alerted Town of Mamaroneck Councilwoman Phyllis
Wittner, who called the County Board of Health and Department
of Environmental Protection.
 At
first glance, there appeared to be silver foam floating
on the surface of the Premium River, perhaps a giant
swirl of swan feathers glinting in the late summer sun.
A closer inspection revealed that it was neither foam
nor feathers but hundreds of inch-long menhaden minnows
bobbing moribund on the surface of the pond. Included
among the tiny fish were a few larger striped bass and
snappers.
Vickie Zilz and Matt Smith from the Westchester County
Board of Health would not rule out the weather as a
cause of the fish kill. Called in by Town of Mamaroneck
to inspect the situation, the pair surveyed the damage.
“Weather conditions have been horrific this summer
– brutally hot, no rain followed by thundering
rains - and the fish have been under stress,”
said Zilz. “We very often don’t find the
cause of these fish kills,” she cautioned. “Who
knows what’s in the storm water,” she added.
Reached at the Town Center, Councilwoman Phyllis Wittner
explained, “It’s not unusual to see dead
fish in the area. It may be due to hypoxia, when you
have had a hot summer. Or someone may have poured something
in the water, though this is not often the case.”
Impressed by the Board of Health’s quick response
to the Town’s call, she also noted the vigilance
of Premium Pond neighbors who keep careful watch over
the area.
The Town is involved in a number of projects to upgrade
the health of the water and wetlands in the section
of Mamaroneck known as “Red Bridge.” The
disappearing fragmites is part of the plan, explained
Councilwoman Wittner. Two blocks down from the bridge
on Dogwood Road, the tall fragmites have recently been
mowed as part of an effort to revitalize the Pryor Manor
Marsh. A $353,000 grant from New York State’s
Environmental Protection Fund is underwriting much of
the cost of the project. Without this sort of effort,
the salt marsh would eventually be lost to a fresh water
wetland and, much later on, to forestland. The salt-water
marsh plays an important role in controlling flooding
in the low-lying neighborhood and provides habitat for
small fish and the birds that prey upon them.
One mystery solved – the fragmites were meant
to disappear. And the dead fish? By the end of the day,
Councilwoman Wittner announced the verdict: death by
hypoxia. Hungry bluefish herded the smaller menhaden
minnows into shallow, oxygen-depleted waters where the
larger bluefish snapped up their fill, leaving the leftover
menhaden to suffocate. Karen Chytallo from the Department
of Environmental Conservation confirmed the diagnosis,
and thanked Mamaroneck for adding to the department’s
research on the fish kill phenomenon.
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