USE OF OF LOWER TRIBUTARIES THE JAMES ANADROMOUS RIVER FISHES BY Iq•chae1 Odom C. R¢chard J. Neves John Ney J. Mudr, John I•I. e H•ZdZ•e and Sciences Depar•men• F•sher•es o• University V•,rg•n•a Znst•tute PoZytechn•c and State V•rg•n•a BZacksburg, USE TRIBUTARIES OF THE OF LOWER JAMES RIVER BY ANADROMOUS FISHES Final Report for Analysis Phase of Impediments Two the of an Spawning Migrations to of Virginia Anadromous Fish in Rivers by: Prepared Michael Odom C. Richard J. Neves Ney John J. John Mudre M. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences Virginia Polytechnic University Institute and State Blacksburg, Virginia 2•061 by: Sponsored Virginia Highway Research Council Virginia Highways Department Transportation of and August, 1986 ABSTRACT The tributaries of (downstream lower of the River James use Virginia) Richmond, by striped of bass, shad, American alewife, herring blueback and by reviewing determined was literature, consulting knowledgeable personnel, and agency interviewing local fishermen landowners. and Barriers to upstream tributary, identified for each movement and were highway all crossings impact evaluated their for were on spawning migrations. Striped and bass American shad spawn primarily spawning in the River but James proper, some apparently Chickahominy species in the River. Both occurs only River, ascend Appomattox the but American shad are known preference it. in of their to Because to spawn spawn large tributaries, usually in bridged, highway which are crossings impede do striped either bass not to appear or drainage. American shad in the River James (collectively herring Alewife blueback and known as herring) river ascend and in tributaries that most spawn empty into the River upstream (the James River of Mile 40 Virginia), Scotland, provided of they town have free access adequate depth. and total of 54 A confirmed streams were as having herring spawning river 38 and deemed runs, were ±i crossings highway probable spawning Seven streams. were impediments, impediments, possible being identified to or as spawning herring Modification these of of river two runs. crossings miles additional much 1.25 would of open up as as spawning. for stream iii oF TABLE CONTENTS ABSTRACT ii Da•e NTRODUCT I I 1 ON METHODS AND DISCUSSION RESULTS 8 Spawning Tributaries Used for 8 Impediments Spawning Migrations II to Creek 17 Proctors Li 20 eutenant Run Creek 20 Poor Walls 25 Run Creek Courthouse 25 . Yarmouth Creek 27 29 SUMMARY TRIBUTARY DESCRIPTIONS 31 EVALUATIONS CROSSING AND ROAD 175 TERATURE C TED L I I 176 INDEX TRIBUTARY TO DESCRIPTIONS iv LIST OF FIGURES Fiqure Da•e Fishermen Io catching herring Swift Creek river on dip with hook and line and nets 2. dam Beaver mile 0.9 at stream Creek Proctors on probable 3. Confirmed spawning and tributaries of anadromous in fish the lower River James bridge, Creek looking Proctors the under 1-95 downstream 19 Impassable barrier by Lieutenant created Run on pipes debris collected Bollingbrook under the on bridge, Petersburg Street 21 flowing parallel Creek Poor of the culvert out adjacent 36, and it Route to under passes as elevated railroad 23 an 7. Outlet of the 36 culvert Route Creek Poor on placed 8. rubble Concrete Walls in downstream Run, bridge of the I0 Route 26 9. of the Inlet 155 culvert Courthouse Route on Creek 28 I ON NTRODUCT I Striped saxatilis), (Morone (Alosa bass American shad ), sapidi (A. pseudoharen_qus ), alewife ssima and blueback herring aestivalis) (A. anadromous fishes that ascend are Virginia's spring rivers each freshwater. in These to spawn historically species provided four have rich to resource a Virginia's (Fig. I); however, sport and commercial fishermen harvest has of the low each declined record in levels to (Atran 1983). al. Probable this of recent et years causes shing, degradation, include decline overfi habitat and spawning reduced historical sites. for to Concern access species prompted harvest, reduce these has efforts to improve quality, ancestral and water restore to access spawning areas. Highway potential crossings have the obstruct to altering by upstream of fish anadromous movements stream depth, velocity, especially width, gradient, smaller and on bridges. instead tributaries culverts where used of be may upstream Culverts been found have obstruct fish movement to (MacPhee (Jones 197•) Canada in al. and Alaska and Watts et 11976). placement impact design However, culvert the of and migrations species upstream of Atlantic anadromous coast on poorly known. is Figure I. Fishermen Swift Creek catching herring on river dip with nets and hook line. and multi-phase study This designed provide to was an evaluation of the significance highway and of occurrence impediments migration the to of anadromous fish in Virginia's streams, in and the future. Phase of One now study (Mudre this 1985) developed al. et overview the of an I) issue. determined: It the present historic and of ranges striped bass, shad, American herring (a river and collective for herring) alewife term and blueback in the mainstem Rappahannock, James, (including Pamunkey York and the and Mattaponi Rivers; 2 the present instream barriers to rivers; in 3) these feasibility and the of passage eliminating the developed barriers. also It state-of- a knowledge synthesis factors of which limit instream migration species. of the aforementioned This findings report details the Phase of of this Two study. objectives The identify I) Phase of the Two to: were tributaries of lower (downstream the River of James Richmond) Manchester by in spawning Dam that used are striped bass, shad, herring; 2) American identify and river anthropogenic natural and spawning migrations barriers in to tributaries; these identify 3) highway and crossings all on these tributaries that anadromous fish would encounter, and evaluate impact potential for each spawning its to migrations. The part first of this document presents the methods, discussion, and results and of summary a our findings. Following tributary this individual text are descriptions crossing evaluations, and arranged road in descending order from upstream downstream. to METHODS by (1970) provided The report Davis al. solid et a identifying foundation for tributaries lower of the James by be, River spawning that used anadromous fish. may are, or Aside from print this report, there little is else in that spawning addresses issue the of informati Current areas. on by personal anadromous fish obtained observation on was runs spawning of interviews with local sherman fi and runs, landowners, knowledgeable personnel and consultation with of Virginia the Commission of and Inland Fisheries Game F), Virginia (VMRC), Marine VCGI Commission Resources Virginia (VIMS), Institute Marine of Sciences and James R. Associates, Incorporated. Reed and Tributaries were categorized I) ) probable; confirmed; 3) unlikely as- or spawning spawning anadromous for fish. streams Confirmed I) (1970) reported those which: in Davis streams al. et are finding 2) spawning; evidence personnel Alosa of field our activity; observed spawning found evidence 3) of or or knowledgeable and/or personnel local residents agency (locals) having identified spawning Probable as runs. spawning confirmed, those streams I) yet: not are are of, upstream tributary of, tributary confirmed or a a ( therefore within spawning the freshwater of range fish); 2) anadromous fish; accessible anadromous and to are 3) adequate depth have herring for least river ascend. at to that shallow herring Streams river ascend, for too to are or downstream all of confirmed tributaries deemed to are were unlikely spawning be tributaries. Impediments spawning migrations to anadromous of fish by identified interviews with fisherman local and were landowners, consultation officials, with enforcement VCGIF inspection topographic of 7.5 minute USGS and field maps, observations. dams be effective Beaver barriers to may migrations (Fig. anadromous 2), fish but for the of purposes this report, did consider be them not permanent to we structures. estimates upstream Our of the limits of anadromous fish based the scenario beaver- of are runs on no related obstructions. of streams, the On there is many no barrier, well-defined natural gradual but rather a shallowing eventually of the that stops stream river herring. addition, herring upstream the In limit river of these between streams of result may vary runs years on as a discharge. variable stream of these streams, For many we subjective made upstream of limit estimate the river of a herring migrations, locals, based interviews with and on drainage gradient of and bias stream assessments Our area. overestimate, in favor of than rather to was err an an underestimate, lengths of the of used. stream Highway crossings (confirmed, all the sections of on probable, unlikely) and lower tributaries the River of James that anadromous identified. fish Each to open are were crossing regard impact evaluated with its to stream was on flow, swimming information this and known related the to was species abilities limitations and the anadromous of that tributary. particular the of Parameters use, may use, or depth, velocity, gradient, relevance included and highway crossing I) turbulence. categorized Each was as: passable; 2) impassable; 3)questionably passable. Sites or visited possible, than needed. When were once, more as we with consulted locals the of anadromous fish in on success negotiating given crossings. place printed All and based those stream are names on topographic 7.5 the minute Anastomoses, USGS maps. on oxbows, free-flowing tidal tributaries with little or no headwaters, and unnamed with freshwater tributaries small drainage (therefore, discharge), little not areas are study. mileages addressed this in based those Stream are on published by Virginia in report the Department of a (1969). Development Conservation and Economic If a particular mileage available in the aforementioned not was publication, from taken 7.5 minute measurements USGS were topographical following printed. channel the main maps, as AND RESULTS DISCUSSION Spawninq Tributaries Used For Striped primarily bass in the tidal freshwater spawn portion spawning mainstem of the grounds River.