Anadromous Fish In New Hampshire`s Estuaries

Anadromous Fish In New Hampshire`s Estuaries

Diadromous Fish and Fish
Passage in New Hampshire
Coastal Watersheds
Cheri Patterson NH Fish & Game Department
Diadromous Fish =
Anadromous and Catadromous
Anadromous Fish
Catadromous Fish – American eel
SPAWN
Returns (number)
Anadromous Fish Migrating in NH Coastal
Rivers
River Herring (Alewife and Blueback Herring)
500,000
450,000
400,000
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
Floods
N
R
E
C
ON
2008
2006
•Downstream migration occurs from
July through October
Year
2004
2002
2000
1998
1996
1994
1992
1990
1988
1986
1984
1982
1980
1978
1976
1974
1972
C
F
O
S
H
E
I
N
C
d
E
n
a
SP
A
A
O
N
•Upstream migration occurs from April through June
Anadromous Fish Migrating in NH Coastal
Rivers
American Shad
Year
•Upstream migration occurs from May through July
All monitored
riversJuly through
Exeter River
•Downstream migration
occurs from
October
20
07
20
05
20
03
19
99
19
93
19
91
19
89
19
87
19
85
NH
S
E
I
C
E
P
S
C
F
O
19
97
Exeter focus
19
95
250
200
150
100
50
0
N
R
E
C
ON
20
01
American shad fry
19
83
Number of returns
American shad - all rivers
Anadromous Fish Migrating in NH
Coastal Rivers
Rainbow Smelt
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
N
R
E
C
ON
C
F
O
S
H
E
I
N
C
d
E
n
a
SP
A
A
NO
•Migrate to estuaries or tributaries from December through March
19
79
19
81
19
83
19
85
19
87
19
89
19
91
19
93
19
95
19
97
19
99
20
01
20
03
20
05
20
07
A verage eggs/square feet
Smelt Egg Deposition - all monitored rivers
•Spawn at head of tide areas from March through April
Year
•Do not utilize the fish ladders – weak swimmers
Anadromous Fish Migrating in NH Coastal
Rivers
Sea Lamprey
All monitored rivers
4000
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
•Upstream migration occurs from April through July
19
91
19
92
19
93
19
94
19
95
19
96
19
97
19
98
19
99
20
00
20
01
20
02
20
03
20
04
20
05
20
06
20
07
20
08
20
09
Number of Lampreys
3500
•Downstream migration occurs Year
from April through December
Catadromous Fish in NH Coastal Rivers
American Eel
Number of Elvers - Lamprey River, Newmarket, NH
Glass/Elver Stage
Adult American Eel
20,000
18,000
Number of Eels
16,000
14,000
12,000
•Upstream
migration
10,000
occurs
from March
through
8,000August
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
2001*
2002*
Downstream migration of adults occurs from
August through November (even during winter
2003*
2004
2005
2006
2007*
2008
2009
months)
Year
* Estimated values
Loss of Connectivity & Habitat
Free Flowing River
at Dynamic Equilibrium
Spawning Habitat
Reservoir
Downstream
- Decreased Water Quality (decreased circulation)
- Pollutants Accumulate (concentrate)
- Oxygen Depletion (may become anoxic)
- Reservoir Stratifies(loss of turbulent flow)
- Increased Temperatures
Increased
Evaporation
- Traps Sediment
- Traps Debris
- Blocks Nutrient Transport
- Algae Blooms
- Blocks Fish Passage
- Water Quality is Reduced
- Altered Flow Regime
- Temperatures modified
- Sediment Starved
- Riverbed Degrades
- Nutrient Starved
Debris Jam
epilimnion
DAM!
metalimnion
hypolimnion
Habitat/Substrate
Buried by Sediment
Courtesy of Laura Wildman – American
Ri
Impounded
Sediment
Dam
Original Bed Profile
Cumulative Effect
American Rivers
Brian Graber
Daily Mean, Max, and Min Dissolved Oxygen
Satuaration in the Exeter River NH 1995
90.00
80.00
70.00
DO%saturation
60.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
20.00
Avg DO Sat
M in DO Sat
10.00
M ax DO Sat
Growth Imp act
Death
0.00
8/1
8/3
8/5
8/7
8/9
Date
8/11
8/13
8/15
8/17
7/
11
/2
00
4
7/
16
/2
00
4
7/
21
/2
00
4
7/
26
/2
00
4
7/
31
/2
00
4
8/
5/
20
04
8/
10
/2
00
4
8/
15
/2
00
4
8/
20
/2
00
4
8/
25
/2
00
4
8/
30
/2
00
4
9/
4/
20
04
7/
6/
20
04
7/
1/
20
04
Discharge (ft3/sec.)
Exeter River Discharge
180
160
140
ft3/sec 2004
ft3/sec 8 year median
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Date
DO During Downstream Emigration
. Daily Mean, Max, and min Dissolved Oxygen Satuaration in the Exeter River NH 2004
90.00
80.00
70.00
50.00
40.00
30.00
AvgDOsat
20.00
MinDOsat
MaxDOsat
Date
10/26
10/19
10/5
9/28
9/21
9/14
9/7
8/31
8/24
0.00
10/12
Growth Impact
10.00
8/17
D.O. % saturation
60.00
American Rivers
Brian Graber
How Many Dams are
in New Hampshire?
National Inventory of Dams (NID)
= 625
NID + Remaining Active Dams
= 3,074
NID + Active + Inactive Dams
= 5,146
Source: NH Dam Bureau Database
Seacoast Dams
18 Head of Tide Dams
Only 8 fish ladders
Blocking every major and
most minor tributaries to
Great Bay and the ocean.
Road Crossings
= Dams?
Pictures from Matt Carpenter and John Magee
Fish Passage
Technical Fishways
Denil
Pool-andWeirs
Nature-Like Fishways
Bypass
Channels
Rocky
Ramp
Dam Removal
Locks
Full
Lowering
Breach
Lifts
Miscellaneous
In-stream
Pool & Weir
Other
Catch &
Toss
Trap &
Truck
Downstream
& Eel
Fish & Wildlife Friendly
Culverts
Fish Passage For Resident Fish
Seven Denil
Fish Ladders:
Oyster
River
Cocheco River
Salmon
Falls River
Lamprey River
Exeter River (2)
Taylor River
Other:
Winnicut
River
2 Eel-a-vator’s
Various Efficiency Issues
•Optimal flow conditions
•High flow conditions and flood gate
operating
Lower Dam Exeter River
250
25
200
20
150
15
100
10
50
5
0
0
31
16
14
13
12
12
10
3
9
8
0
9
1
1
90
55
41
14
Mean Monthly Discharge (cfs)
Tem perature (C)
Num ber of River Herring
Monthly Mean River Herring Returns
and Discharge From 1997-2005
River herring
returns
Mean Monthly
Temperature (C)
Exeter Fishway Entrance
nin
w
a
Sp
rea
a
g
•Ladder opening produces the
strongest current – flood gate closed.
•Spawning occurs below – fish don’t
use ladder to get to majority of river
habitat.
•Water over the dam produces a
strong current conflicting with the
ladder opening – flood gate open.
Becomes
compounded
for each
passage
system within
a river system
Downstream Migration (Emigration)
BYPASSES
OVER DAMS
OR
Fish passage is no longer just about
building fishways:
•Downstream passage/turbine mortality
• Delays in migration
• Effects of fragmentation of habitat
• Alteration of habitat by damming and water
withdrawal
• Anthropogenic influences on hydrograph
Fish Passage Projects in Coastal Rivers
WISWALL DAM – LAMPREY RIVER
2ND DAM ABOVE HEAD-OF-TIDE
Bellamy River Timber Crib
Dam Removal (2002-2004)
BEFORE
AFTER
Winnicut Dam
Removal – 2009
Currently
www.earthcam.com/winnicut/
www.earthcam.com/winnicut
Many Partners Needed
Thank you
Cheri Patterson
NH Fish and Game Dept.
Marine Division
225 Main Street
Durham, NH 03824
(603)868-1095
[email protected]
www.WildNH.com