The Restoration ofAmerican Shad To the Brandywine River
Date
2005-01-28
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Abstract
American shad {Alosa sapidisimmd) were once an abundant migratory fish found throughout East Coast rivers and streams of North America, including the Brandywine River in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Shad were an important part o f Native Americans’ and early colonialists’ diets, and later, were the basis o f an important commercial fishery in larger rivers like the Susquehanna and Delaware. Spring runs o f shad comprised a unique and dramatic natural phenomenon, now a lost part o f our cultural heritage.
Shad restoration efforts are underway in numerous rivers and streams along the East Coast. A 1985 study called A Review and Recommendations Relating to Fishways Within the Delaware Basin
commissioned by the Delaware Basin Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative identified three tributaries historically used by shad for spawning which had “the greatest potential for restoration of the American shad.” These include the Lehigh, the Schuylkill, and the Brandywine Rivers. System-wide shad restoration efforts are underway in both the Schuylkill and Lehigh Rivers, but not in the Brandywine.
Restoring shad to the Brandywine River could have important economic, ecological, and cultural benefits for the Brandywine Valley region generally and the Wilmington area specifically. With funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Delaware Estuary Program, the Brandywine Conservancy has undertaken an analysis of the feasibility of restoring American shad to the Brandywine River, initially focusing on the State of Delaware where eleven dams currently block shad from access to upstream habitat.
The project’s goals include establishing partnerships with dam owners and key stakeholders; identifying dam functions and fish passage options; and identifying technical and legal requirements, including costs and sources o f funding for fish passage. Regional examples of successful fish passage projects were also researched and, in some cases, visited.
This report summarizes the results and findings o f the project. Partnerships have been established and agreements secured with the owners o f nine o f the eleven dams as well as with key state and federal agencies. Dam owner-partners include the City o f Wilmington (owner o f dams #1 and 2); the State o f Delaware (owner o f dams # 4 and 11); the Hagley Museum and Library (owner of dams #7, 8, 9, and 10), and the DuPont Company (owner of dam #6). One other dam (#3) is already breached, while the other (#5) recently changed ownership, and the new owner is in litigation. Therefore, the decision was made to wait before contacting them.
Results o f this initial analysis indicate that there are technically feasible options for providing fish passage at all o f the dams, which may include the following options: fish ladders, rock ramps, by-pass channels, or dam removals. These options are described and illustrated in the text. The Lower Brandywine River contains five historic districts on the National Register, one o f which is also a National Historic Landmark. Five o f the eleven dams on the Lower Brandywine (dam # s 7-11) are considered historic. At extra cost, it is possible to provide passage at historic dams using aesthetically sensitive materials (for example, granite stone facings) to blend, for example, a fish ladder into local surroundings. Choosing a specific implementation approach is, o f course, at the discretion of the dam owner.