“Conservation Locking” for the Restoration of Paddlefish and Sturgeon Populations in the Southeastern U.S

Dams and other impassible barriers pose among the most significant threats to fishes such as paddlefish and sturgeon. The Nature Conservancy is the central coordinator of multi-agency partnerships which provide fish passage for migratory fish restoration using existing locks at three U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District lock and dams in the southeastern U.S.  This “conservation locking” provides passage to species such as paddlefish at Claiborne and Millers Ferry lock and dams on the Alabama River, and Alabama shad and striped bass at Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam (JWLD) on the Apalachicola River in Georgia/Florida.  Although benthic species are likely unable to migrate upstream using this technique, information on upriver conditions such as potential available spawning habitat may be applicable to future fish passage actions targeted at species as Gulf sturgeon at JWLD.  Continued assessment of the effectiveness of conservation locking via this partnership will provide further insights into the conservation and recovery of paddlefish as well as Gulf sturgeon and future application of more effective fish passage solutions at these facilities.