Demand Brockton Free the Fish in Silver Lake

By signing this petition, you join us in calling on the City of Brockton to take immediate action to raise the level and release enough water from Silver Lake to allow migrating River Herring to reach the sea.

We’ve made significant progress in bringing River Herring back to Silver Lake for spawning—a crucial step in rebuilding this vital species and supporting the health of our waters and fisheries. Now, we urgently need to ensure the juvenile fish can leave the Lake and complete their journey to the sea.

Silver Lake’s water levels are critically low—as of Sept 9th, 33 inches below full capacity. Consequently, no water is reaching the Jones River fish ladder or flowing downstream. The fish need increased flow to exit the lake, enter the river, and eventually reach the sea.

Typically, fish migrate from July to September. This year, the young are stranded due to the low lake levels. However, if Brockton acts swiftly now to use available resources to increase water levels, we can still help these juveniles survive and complete their journey to the sea.

We call on Mayor Sullivan to free the fish by directing the city’s Department of Public Works to immediately manage their additional resources so sufficient water can be released from Silver Lake. Additionally, we demand that the city develop a long-term plan to prevent this issue from recurring.

Silver Lake is Brockton's drinking water source, and the city controls its flow. Managing Silver Lake to maintain ecological flow to Jones River to sustain fish migration will improve water quality and many vital environmental assets. A healthy and well-managed lake will help protect our drinking water resources and so much more for years to come.

Time is running out—please act now to protect this essential species and the broader ecosystem. Thank you for your support!

Here are some contacts if you’d also like to share your concerns directly (a huge help!):

• Brockton’s Mayor Sullivan: mayorsullivan@cobma.us or 508-580-7123
• Brockton’s Department of Public Work’s Commissioner, Patrick Hill: phill@cobma.us or 508-580-7135
• Brockton City Councilors – their contact info is at https://brockton.ma.us/government/city-council/
• Brockton’s state and federal elected officials – contact info at https://brockton.ma.us/government/elected-officials/