SPICKLER 1

Zach Spickler

March 5th, 2013

Period 1

GT Independent Research

Hydroelectric Dams and American Shad: A Bad Mix

In 1889, the South Fork Dam located in southern Pennsylvania blew and killed over

2,200 people. This incident exemplifies the sheer power dams possess and the effect that

they can have on their environment. How do hydroelectric dams affect the population of

American Shad, a large migratory fish located in rivers from Florida to Maine on the

Atlantic Ocean during spawning season? The population of American Shad first started

decreasing in the 1700’s from Atlantic rivers, but it hit record lows in the 1980’s. The

population of American Shad, especially juveniles, or young fish, is greatly affected by

hydroelectric dams that cause erosion, sediment build up, drastic temperature changes, lack

of fish transportation methods around major river blockages, and a lack of restoration

efforts from both private organizations and the government.

To better understand the topics discussed in this paper, one must be knowledgeable

of American Shad (Alosa sapidissima) (“MDNR-FS”). Some physical features of

American Shad are its length-American Shad can grow up 30 inches long, but most average

20-24 inches. American Shad have sharp scales on their bellies, usually have spots on their

neck area, and do not have an overbite (Bay 101: American Shad). It is very important to

note that American Shad, a schooling fish species, are anadromous fish, which are defined

as fish that spend the majority of their lives at sea except for the juvenile age and spawning

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times. American colonists and fishers described American Shad the most delicious, and

that is actually where the fish’s name originated– Sapidissima means “most delicious.” As

for diet and nutrition, Shad eat plankton and smaller fish. The juveniles usually eat the

plankton, and the adults usually eat small fish. Another interesting fact about Shad is that

George Washington was an avid fisher of the breed. He loved the taste of the valued fish.

Finally, American Shad generally spawn, or reproduce in April or June here in Maryland.

Each female lies up to 600,000 eggs, but a very low number survives. For the most part,

Shad are river specific, meaning that they return to their birth river to spawn. A fact that is

rather unusual is what happens after the female shad lay their eggs; southern American

Shad die after they lay their eggs, a feature similar to octopi, and northern American Shad

remain alive.

Erosion and sediment buildup are major byproducts of dams, and they are not just

hydroelectric dam byproducts. Sediment is defined as dirt and small pieces of river matter

that move along with the river or rise from the riverbed. “What happens to the sediment in

a dammed river? It reaches the slow-moving reservoir above the dam and drops out,

settling behind the dam…they [dams] are not engineered to withstand the additional force

of tons of wet sediment pressing on their backsides” (“Ecology of Dams”). This

informative quote explains the build up of sediment and the effects if there is too much of

it. Sediment build-up is not an easy thing for the average citizen to recognize because it

happens under the water and against the dam, out of sight. Sediment build up is a huge

reason for dam breakings. In the introduction, information was presented about the

Johnstown flood. There are a lot of dam breakings, on a smaller scale, that go unheard of.

Even a little bit of sediment can cause a beaver dam to break. Surges are huge dumpings of

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water from hydroelectric dams whenever power is in demand. When there is little power

needed, the dams do not release much water, but when power is in demand, huge surges

come and hit the bottom of the river hard! This causes erosion, which is defined as

follows, “the gradual destruction or diminution of something” (“Glossary of Term…Fish

Management). The riverbed is eroded as long as the dam is in place. These giant releases

sweep away spawning gravels, and vegetation needed to support the ecosystem, and they

affect the migration of fish that are not supposed to have to wait for a dam to let out huge

amounts of water during a short period of time. “The higher energy of the sudden floods

picks up and removes smaller sediments such as silt, sand, and gravel, as well as aquatic

plants and animals, leafy debris, and large woody debris. Complex sets of habitats are

erased. The riverbed below the dam becomes like a pavement of cobbles and loses its value

as a habitat for plants, macro-invertebrates, and fish” (“Ecology of Dams”). If one is

having difficulty understanding this concept of erosion, picture a tree with a large circle of

mulch surrounding it. Now picture a huge bucket of water being dumped a few feet above

the mulch. What is going to happen? The mulch will be forced from its spot from the huge

force the water brought, and there will be a bare spot where the water hit. Not only does

sediment build up and erosion effect river environments, but a lack of necessary fish

transportation methods also affect river environments and its inhabitants.

There is a lack of ideal fish transportation methods that are necessary to help fish

maneuver from upstream to downstream and vise-versa. (“Swim to and from the Sea!").

Adult fish transportation methods include adult fish ladders and spillways. Fish ladders are

essentially ladders on a hill. The ladders are made of steel or concrete and rise gradually so

the fish can get over the dam by going into different sections of water without a great

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amount of pressure from the rapid river (“What Is a Fish Ladder?"). Spillways are very

simple. It’s like a wide steamboat paddlewheel. Both adult fish ladders and spillways are

fairly common, but it’s the transportation of juvenile fish that presents a greater problem.

Some dams provide juvenile bypass systems. Juvenile fish swim on the bottoms of rivers,

so there is this tool that gathers the bottom-dwellers, which are usually juvenile fish, and

sucks them up and flushes them down a huge tube on the side of the down further

downstream. Most dams do not have fish transportation at all, however the most common

method of fish passage is fish ladders (“Fish Passage at Dams”) Also, juvenile fish are

getting caught in turbines of the dams, so that is yet another problem that normal dams

have.

Temperature changes present another problem with transportation methods. Rivers

are homogeneous in temperature, but reservoirs are layered in temperature with the warm

water on top. Picture a dam in your mind. The water flowing quickly over the top of the

dam, warm water. Juveniles are taken from the bottom on the river, from cold water. They

are exposed to drastic temperature changes when they encounter a dam. Every human

knows that going from a warm temperature in a cold one quickly can get you sick. Well, it

works the same way for fish (“Ecology of Dams”).

To support the argument created by this paper, actual evidence and numbers are

necessary. Several government organizations and private companies have conducted

studies that examined the population of American Shad and passage rates at specific dams.

The Exelon Corporation conducted a study on the passage effectiveness of the Conowingo

Dam on the Susquehanna River in Cecil County, Maryland. This corporation is trying to

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get relicensed in hydro-electric energy generation. This study concluded that the

Conowingo Dam has a passage rate of 45%, which means that about 45% of American

Shad fish can manage to maneuver either upstream or downstream from the dam. This

study also concluded that there were more male fish that passed the dam than female fish.

The next study, conducted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources gives the

current stock status of American Shad. Since 1960, the population has bee decreasing, as

mentioned in the introduction. This study also concluded that “wild (non-hatchery)

spawning American shad abundance varies among river systems. Approximately 62% of

American shad in the Conowingo Dam tailrace were of wild stock.2 Twenty-eight percent

of males and 25% of females were repeat spawners (spawned in previous years)” (MDNR).

A possible issue with this source is that “the effect of multiple mortality sources such as

by-catch, discard, dam turbines, pollution, and predation on abundance trends is unknown”

(MDNR).

Not only have government organizations conducted experiments, but they have also

passed legislation that greatly restricted the fishing of American Shad. The following law

summary is from the Connecticut River Coordinator’s Office: “the American shad is a

Federal trust fish, meaning that the Federal government has some responsibility for its

recovery. The American shad is protected under the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act.

Restoration efforts are underway in rivers from Maine to Virginia. Objectives of national

restoration efforts include restoring runs to 7-9 million shad and restoring hundreds of

miles of spawning habitat. In the Connecticut River basin, restoration is a cooperative

effort between the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, other Federal agencies, State fish and

wildlife departments in the watershed, private organizations, and industry. Management

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practices include providing access to habitat by building fish passage

facilities”(Connecticut River Coordinator’s Office). This quote is self-explanatory and

easy to understand. Connecticut is one of several states that have introduced legislation.

The following quote is from the government of Virginia: “A.  Any registered

commercial fisherman meeting the conditions described in this subsection shall be eligible

to participate in the American shad bycatch fishery in 2012: 1.  The registered commercial

fisherman shall apply for a VMRC American Shad Bycatch Permit and possess that permit

while fishing, landing, or selling his catch of American shad… B.  It shall be unlawful for

any person to possess aboard a vessel more than 10 American shad… C.  It shall be

unlawful for any person to possess aboard a vessel or land any American shad unless that

person possesses at least an equal number of fish of only the following food-grade species:

spot, croaker, bluefish, catfish, striped bass or white perch. D.  Possession of American

shad by any person permitted in accordance with this section shall be lawful only when

those American shad were harvested from the bycatch area.  Possession of any American

shad harvested in Virginia waters that are outside of the bycatch area shall constitute a

violation of this regulation… “(MRC.virginia.gov). To summarize the law above, it is

illegal to fish American Shad in Virginia when they are not located in a by-catch area.

Basically, it is illegal for a fisher to go fishing for only American Shad. The only way it is

legal to possess American Shad on a vessel, or boat, is if the fish was a part of the catch of

another kind of fish, and there is still a strict limit of ten American Shad per vessel.

The population decrease of American Shad since 1950 has occurred as a direct

result of man-made dams. It is important to note that dams do not just decrease the

population of fish, but they also destroy their surrounding river environment by causing

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erosion and sediment build up. Dams also force huge temperature changes from upstream

to downstream and vise-versa, and they starve the river from nutrients essential to life

downstream of dams. Dams are blockages of rivers and halt fish migration upstream and

downstream. It is important that people learn and spread the word of the effect of dams on

their environment, and finally, the production of power by hydroelectric dams is not

significant enough (in most areas) to offset the dwindling population of American Shad and

other types of migratory fish struggling to survive and have successful offspring.

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Works citied

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Normandeau Associates Inc., and Gomez and Sullivan Engineers, P.C. "American

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