Fish lifts & ladders new for 2005

The worst American Shad migration in 30 years, the best Atlantic Salmon migration (177 fish) and several new fish ladders constructed and old dams removed. What's the problem?

Shetucket River fish ladder dedicated aka Taftville Dam (Norwich Bulletin)

• Within a few years, fishermen and nature buffs may see 10 times as many fish in the Shetucket River. Environmental advocates dedicated a 350-foot fish ladder Thursday at the Taftville hydroelectric station that is expected to re-grow a fish population that has been missing for 150 years, said Ed Parker, the bureau chief of natural resources at the state Department of Environmental Protection.The target species for the fish ladder are the American shad, the gizzard shad, the blue-back herring and the lamprey eel. Parker said fishermen will benefit from the ladder as it allows the fish population to multiply. DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy called the dedication a great day for the environment. She said the new fish ladder in the shadow of the massive Ponemah Mill is another landmark of the historic site. "The great rivers of this area provide great opportunities," she said. "We don't have to make choices between having a thriving economy and (preserving) natural resources."
• The $1.5 million fish ladder was built through a cooperative effort between the Northeast Generation Co., the Connecticut DEP and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It provides safe passage upstream -- past the existing dam -- to allow migrating fish to spawn. "All fishes benefit from it," Parker said. "(And) the whole ecosystem benefits because it's getting things back to what they were 150 years ago."

Holyoke fish ladder teems with aquatic life (The Republican via Massonline.com)

• With new fish ladders in place and migrating species passing by, the Barrett Fishway at the Holyoke Dam is well into its busy season. The fishway opened May 8 with counts of about 100 American shad each day. By last week, the numbers were up to the 2,000 range each day. "As temperatures continue to come up, they head upstream in large numbers," said Kim Noyes, a marine biology educator who manages the fishway. "Our viewing windows provide a window into the river, where people can see the teeming life in the Connecticut River this time of year," Noyes said.
• Two new lifts were installed over the winter as part of a $4 million project undertaken by Holyoke Gas & Electric, which owns Holyoke Dam and maintains the fishway. "We can lift over 10,000 fish a day," Noyes said. James M. Lavelle, the manager of Holyoke Gas & Electric, said the new lifts have worked well in the first few weeks of operation. "They have four times the capacity of the old equipment," Lavelle said. "We have larger hoppers and the hoists that move the mechanisms are able to make more frequent lifts during the day. We can make many more lifts in the course of a day," Lavelle said.
• After wintering in the Atlantic Ocean, American shad head into the rivers of the Northeast to their traditional spawning grounds. To reach the Holyoke Dam requires swimming upstream in the Connecticut for 86 miles, a trip biologists say the American shad make without eating. "The laws of nature dictate how many will come," Lavelle said. "But we do know that the new lifts are more than capable of handling even a peak of migration activity." The viewing station is open to the public at no charge Wednesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until June 19. May is the peak time for American shad.
• In June, the shad count usually declines, but there is more of a variety, with increased numbers of other species, including blueback herring, striped bass and Atlantic salmon. The target species are American shad, gizzard shad, blue-back herring and Lamprey eel. A building called the “counting house” is equipped with a video camera to record fish migration through a large window. Northeast Generating Co. must send reports of fish counts to the DEP's Inland Fisheries Division. “We have recreated 150 years of natural history on this waterway,” said DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy, “by restoring the passage of fish beyond this dam, upstream to habitat that has long been denied to them.” Northeast Generating also plans to install a fish ladder at its Tunnel Hydroelectric Project on the Quinebaug River in Lisbon by the 2007 fish migration season.

Dams prevent fish from reaching the reservoir to spawn

• A joint project between the state of Rhode Island, city of East Providence and other groups to construct three fish ladders on the Ten Mile River in East Providence is being researched for feasibility by the Army Corps of Engineers.
• The fish ladders, which are proposed for the three lowest dams on the river, Omega Pond Dam, Hunts Mill Dam and Turner Reservoir Dam, would allow certain types of fish, namely blueback herring, alewife and American shad, to reach Turner Reservoir to spawn. The river is a historic fish run, but the dams in place have prevented fish from reaching the reservoir to spawn. Groups of fishermen have been netting the adult fish and bringing them over the dams.
• Putting in fish ladders would allow the upstream migration of the adults, migrant slots cut into the existing spillways at Omega Pond and Turner Reservoir would allow for the downstream migration of young fish. Hunts Mill Dam requires no migrant slots, since the shape of the existing spillways allow enough water depth for downstream migration. Each fishway would measure four feet wide.