Susquehanna River Anadromous Fish Restoration Cooperative (SRAFRC)
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Susquehanna River Anadromous Fish Restoration Cooperative (SRAFRC) DRAFT Migratory Fish Management and Restoration Plan for the Susquehanna River Basin March 11, 2010 DRAFT for Policy Committee and public review Cooperators U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Marine Fisheries Service Susquehanna River Basin Commission Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Maryland Department of Natural Resources New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Acknowledgments This Plan was initially written in 1997 by Mike Hendricks, specifically as a guidance document for future Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) activities in Pennsylvania waters of the Susquehanna River basin. It was modified and updated in 2001 by Dick St. Pierre, the Susquehanna River Coordinator (Coordinator) for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to incorporate recent information add new program elements and serve as an anadromous fish restoration plan for the Susquehanna River Anadromous Fish Restoration Cooperative (SRAFRC). It was updated and revised again during 2006-2010 to address additional migratory fish (anadromous, catadromous, and potadromous) including alewife, blueback herring, striped bass, Atlantic sturgeon, shortnose sturgeon, and American eel. The authors appreciate critical reviews provided by independent reviewers and members of the SRAFRC Policy Committee. Portions were taken directly from the Chesapeake Bay Program's "Chesapeake Bay Alosid Management Plan" (Chesapeake Executive Council 1989). Other American shad plans reviewed included those from the Penobscot and Roanoke rivers. Plan writers: Lawrence M. Miller U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service David W. Heicher Susquehanna River Basin Commission Andrew L. Shiels & Michael L. Hendricks Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Robert A. Sadzinski Maryland Department of Natural Resources David Lemon New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Reviewers: Richard St. Pierre U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Retired R. Wilson Laney U.S, Fish and Wildlife Service Andrew Kahnle New York State Department of Environmental Conservation In addition, we would like to thank the many individuals who have contributed to this effort by collecting eggs, culturing shad, operating fishways and monitoring juvenile and adult populations. We would also like to thank the lower Susquehanna River hydroelectric project owners/operators including Exelon Corporation, PPL Holtwood LLC, Safe Harbor Water Power Corporation, and York Haven Power Company LLC for their support and cooperation. Lastly, we would like to thank Dick St. Pierre for his dedication and commitment to the resources of the Susquehanna River. His vision for the Susquehanna River still stands as the benchmark, and without his early endeavors preparation of this report would have been much more difficult. 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................... 2 Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 4 Migratory Fish Management and Restoration Plan for the Susquehanna River Basin ............... 6 History of Migratory Fish Abundance and Distribution ................................................................. 6 Early Fisheries ............................................................................................................................ 7 American shad ........................................................................................................................ 7 River herring ........................................................................................................................... 8 Hickory shad ........................................................................................................................... 8 Atlantic sturgeon ..................................................................................................................... 9 Shortnose sturgeon .................................................................................................................. 9 American eels.......................................................................................................................... 9 Striped bass ........................................................................................................................... 11 The Demise of Migratory Fish in the Susquehanna River ........................................................ 11 History of the Anadromous Fish Restoration Effort ..................................................................... 13 Committees and Settlement Agreements .................................................................................. 13 Restoration Activities................................................................................................................ 16 Harvest Restrictions .............................................................................................................. 16 Culture and Stocking............................................................................................................. 17 Trap and Transport of Pre-Spawn Adults ............................................................................. 18 Fish Passage at Dams ............................................................................................................ 19 Special Studies and Evaluation ............................................................................................. 20 Downstream Passage ............................................................................................................ 21 Adult American shad Stock Assessment .............................................................................. 22 Hatchery Evaluation.............................................................................................................. 22 Biomonitoring ....................................................................................................................... 22 Genetics Studies .................................................................................................................... 23 Summary of Restoration Activities ....................................................................................... 23 Tributary Habitat Restoration ................................................................................................... 24 The Chesapeake Bay Connection ............................................................................................. 25 Current Status of Susquehanna River Migratory Fish Stocks ...................................................... 27 American shad .......................................................................................................................... 27 Hickory Shad ............................................................................................................................ 30 Gizzard shad.............................................................................................................................. 31 Atlantic sturgeon ....................................................................................................................... 31 Shortnose sturgeon .................................................................................................................... 32 American eel ............................................................................................................................. 32 Striped bass ............................................................................................................................... 33 3 Migratory Fish Management and Restoration Plan ...................................................................... 34 Goal ...................................................................................................................................... 34 Objective A: Restore access to historic habitats for juvenile and adult migratory fish. .... 35 Objective B: Maintain or improve existing migratory fish habitat quality. ....................... 40 Objective C: Enhance migratory fish spawning stock biomass and maximize juvenile recruitment. ................................................................................................... 41 Objective D: Evaluate the migratory fish restoration effort periodically and adjust programs or processes as needed. ................................................................. 45 Objective E: Ensure cooperation among all restoration partners while generating support for the restoration of migratory fish among the general public and potential funding sources. ............................................................................................ 47 Adaptive management and future plan revisions ...................................................................... 49 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................................. 51 Figures and Tables ........................................................................................................................ 58 Appendixes ................................................................................................................................... 89 Appendix 1. Life History of Migratory Fishes ........................................................................ 89 American shad (Alosa sapidissima)