The Buzzards Bay Coalition will hold an informative session at the Wareham Free Library on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 5:30 p.m. to kick off a feasibility study for restoring fish habitat on the Weweantic River at Horseshoe Mill.

The Coalition purchased Horseshoe Mill, a former industrial site, in 2012 to protect it from development, open it to public access and enable restoration of this important stretch of the river for its natural resource values. Presently, Horseshoe Mill is open to the public and connects with trails at adjacent protected conservation lands.

The Weweantic is the largest freshwater river that flows to Buzzards Bay, and home to the most diverse community of migratory fish that remains anywhere on the Bay. Rich populations of fish, plants and wildlife call the Weweantic River home. A variety of migratory fish, including eels, white perch, river herring and rainbow smelt, must pass through the river at Horseshoe Mill to spawn and survive.

However, migrating fish are met with a big obstacle when they reach the crumbling remnants of a former mill and dam at Horseshoe Mill. This blockage prevents many fish from surviving and spawning, which threatens the long-term viability of this important natural resource. Opening of the barrier is needed to improve access to habitat and is necessary to increase fish and wildlife populations over time.

The Coalition has contracted a river restoration engineering firm to evaluate the best alternatives available for improving natural resource values at Horseshoe Mill. To begin this process, the Coalition is inviting community members to attend an informational meeting on Dec. 8 to learn about the river’s resources and the threats to them at this site. Potential options for addressing these problems will be introduced, and the public will be invited to offer comments on possible restoration alternatives. Following public input, alternative designs will be developed and evaluated over the winter. Results of this feasibility study will be reported in spring 2016. This project is funded by a grant to the Coalition from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (www.mass.gov/eea/met).

The Coalition recently completed a similar, successful restoration project at The Sawmill on the Acushnet River. There, the Coalition and its partners restored fish passage and natural river banks while also installing trails and a canoe launch. The Sawmill recently opened to the public in early November.

To learn more about the Horseshoe Mill property and the Weweantic River, visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org/horseshoemill.