Editing Charles River (section)

==Wildlife==
===Fish===
[[File:American Shad - Alosa Sapidissima.jpg|thumb|American Shad (''Alosa sapidissima'')]]
The Charles River is home to a wide range of freshwater fish species and some diadromous species. There are over 25 species able to be found in the Charles and some of the most common freshwater fish include the Redfin Pickerel, Largemouth Bass, Golden Shiner, Yellow Perch, a variety of sunfish (such as Bluegills, Redbreast Sunfish, and Pumpkinseeds), and some species of catfish (Yellow Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, White Bullhead).<ref>{{Cite news|date=March 2014|title=Charles River Fish Field Guide|url=https://www.crwa.org/uploads/1/2/6/7/126781580/charkes_river_fish_field_guide.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121013953/https://www.crwa.org/uploads/1/2/6/7/126781580/charkes_river_fish_field_guide.pdf |archive-date=21 November 2021}} (Archived URL retrieved 22 January 2024)</ref> The [[diadromous fish]] (fish that spend parts of their lives in fresh and salt water) that can be found in the Charles are mostly anadromous species (fish that migrate from sea to freshwater to spawn). These include the Alewife Herring, American Shad, White Perch, and Striped Bass. The only catadromous species (fish that migrate from freshwater to sea to spawn) in the Charles is the American Eel.

With the many initiatives to improve the health of the river in the years since the formation of the CRWA, the health and variety of fish in the river have greatly improved. One example of this is the reintroduction of [[American shad|American Shad]] into the Charles. American Shad used to be one of the most common species in the river until the 1800s when population numbers decreased because of new dams and poor water quality. With improved water quality and partial dam breaches created in modern times, the CRWA, along with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and the [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service|U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]], targeted American Shad as a species to revive in the river's ecosystem.<ref>{{Cite web|title=River Science: Restore|url=https://www.crwa.org/restore.html|access-date=2020-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923033923/https://www.crwa.org/restore.html |archive-date=23 September 2020 |website=Charles River Watershed Association}} (Archived URL retrieved 22 January 2024)</ref> In the years from 2006 to 2011, the river was stocked with millions of shad fry. Research showed that these shad were in fact returning to the river to spawn, a testament to the improved health of the river.