Case study - the Susquehanna River anadromous fish restoration - cooperation is key

The Susquehanna River once supported large numbers of anadromous fish, however these stocks have been severely impacted by human activities, especially dam-building. The four large hydroelectric dams constructed on the lower river in the early 1900s completely eliminated access to all but the lower 10 miles of the river. These dams did not incorporate effective fish passage measures or facilities. Up-running anadromous fish could no longer reach upstream spawning and rearing habitat and the runs vanished. In the 1950s, inspired by improvements in upstream fish passage technology, the resource agencies implemented a program to restore migratory fish to the upper river basin, focusing on American shad. Restoration efforts included: partnering with the owners/operators of the hydroelectric dams to construct a fish trapping facility at Conowingo Dam; stocking of pre-spawned adult American shad into spawning waters above dams; development of methods to culture and mark hatchery-reared fry to distinguish them from naturally produced fish; stocking of millions of cultured shad larvae; and construction of upstream fish passage facilities at all four lower river hydroelectric dams. This presentation will provide an overview of the federal, state, private and public effort to restore anadromous fish to the Susquehanna River.