To Passage for Migratory Fish on Lower
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River Herring: Assessment of Fish Passage Opportunities in Lower Hudson River Tributaries (2009-2012) Presentation to NY Region River Herring Workshop, HRF, Oct. 22, 2012 Carl Alderson, NOAA Restoration Center Lisa Rosman, NOAA, Office of Response and Restoration NOAA Funded Restoration Projects in the Northeast • 216 salt marsh projects • 206 fish passage projects •Completed ~16,000 acres and ~1,400 stream miles •Est. ~4,0000 acres and ~ 1,500 stream miles planned Northeast Fish Passage Prioritization Goal: to identify priority watersheds throughout the region to focus our fish passage projects. • Developed list of priority species among the 14 diadromous species in the region • Mapped co- occurrence and ranked Tributary Fish Passage Study of the Lower Hudson River • Objectives Investigate Changes to Fish Passage Impediments Create an Inventory of Barriers for use as a Decision Making Tool Work with other agencies and programs to further mutual goals Tributary Fish Passage Study of the Lower Hudson River • Scope of Effort 65 Tributaries Update Prior Efforts (Schmidt et al 1996, Halavik and Orvis 1998, Machut et al. 2007) o Not Limited to number of barriers per tributary Desktop Tools o Google Earth, Bing, Digital USGS 7.5 Series Topographic o Digital NYS Dam Inventory Groundtruthing: 51 of 65 tributaries all or partially field verified to date o GPS, Video, Photography, Notes Tributary Fish Passage Study of the Lower Hudson River • Proposed Actions Dam Removal and Culvert Upgrades (Preferred) Eelways, Fish Ladders, Rock Ramps (Less Preferred) No Action (e.g., No Benefit, Owner Opposition, FERC Licensed, Regulatory Obstacle) Evaluation of Barriers - Criteria for Determining Passability Presence/Absence of barriers and their physical attributes Challenges for anadromous and catadromous fish presented by barriers (passable part, all, or none, seasonal, tidally restricted) Stream gradient (steepness) Categorization of streams by hydrologic type (perennial, intermittent, or ephemeral) Deliverables of the Study Database GIS IDENTIFYING LOCATION ATTRIBUTES RESTORATION ATTRIBUTES HABITAT ATTRIBUTES SPECIES ATTRIBUTES OBSTRUCTION ATTRIBUTES ACRE BENEFITS CONTACT ATTRIBUTES BIBLIOGRAPHY COMMENTS AND CONCERNS PHOTO LINKS Mapping Product Video Library Photo Library Development of Prioritization Tool Study Scope: Sixty-five Lower Hudson Tributaries Fallkill Mill Creek (R) Annsville Creek Saw Kill Fallsburgh Creek Minisceongo Creek Arden Brook Sing Sing Brook Fishkill Creek Moodna Creek Black Creek South Bay Creek Foundry Brook Moordener Kill Breakneck Brook South Lattintown Creek Furnace Brook Muitzes Kill Catskill Creek Sparkill Creek Gordons Brook Murderers Creek Cedar Point Brook Sprout Brook Hannacrois Creek Normans Creek Cheviot Creek Stockport Creek Highland Brook Peekskill Hollow Brook Claverack Creek Stony Creek Hunters Brook Philipse Brook Coeymans Creek Twaalfskill Creek Indian Brook Pocantico River Copper Mine Brook Vlockie Kill Indian Kill Poesten Kill Coxsackie Creek Vloman Kill Kaaterskill Creek Popolopen Brook Croton River Wades Brook Kinderhook Creek Quassaic Creek Crows Nest Brook Wallkill River Landsman Kill Roeliff Jansen Kill Crumb Elbow Wappingers Creek Lattintown Creek Rondout Creek Dickey Brook Wickers Creek Maritje Kill Roseton Brook Esopus Creek Wynants Kill Mill Creek (C) The NOAA Study Area Is: A subset of the overall Hudson watershed, defined by the outer most bounds of the historic, current and potential migratory routes of river herring, Shad and American Eel within the 65 tributaries of the Lower Hudson Estuary. Partially Investigated Barriers Fully Investigated Barriers Partner agencies are also participating in the effort to restore diadromous fish runs, with some undertaking studies of their own. NYSDEC Lower Hudson Watershed Studies NY/NJ Harbor Estuary Program Hudson –Raritan Estuary Comprehensive Restoration Plan The Tale of two The barriers in the New NOAA led Barriers York Harbor Area are Studies within the distributed throughout the Hudson –Raritan low gradient rivers in the Estuary. watershed, whereas the barriers studied on the Note the Spatial Hudson Tributaries tightly Patterns made by cluster near the Hudson the Tributary River main stem due to the barriers of the steep terrain of the Hudson Hudson River in Valley contrast with the barriers studied in the area of New York Harbor (Raritan, Passaic, Hackensack, Bronx Rivers and lesser tributaries). N So many dams, but who is watching them? Lower Hudson The New York State DEC Dam Safety Database River Piermont to Beacon, NY Number of Dams in Study with NYSDSD Hazard Hazard Class Description Classification Low Hazard A 51 Intermediate Hazard B 18 High Hazard C 13 Negligible or No D Hazard 4 •Our Survey “Dams” consisting of natural and man-made barriers are shown in 86 relation to some of the over 6000 dam records in the NYS Dam Safety Of the 152 dams in our database, Database but more than 10,000 dams 86 are in NYSDSD. are estimated to exist in NYS. Nearly 800 dams in the Hudson River watershed. 66 are not. The DSD categorizes dams by the hazard they present. Hazard Rating refers to consequences of a dam's failure, not the condition of the dam. NOAA STUDY IN PROGRESS 2009-2012 211 51 216 Stream Miles in the Tributaries Visited Barriers Field Visited Survey 112 14 Barriers Not Visited 3.25 Tributaries NOT Visited Average #Miles/Stream 5.05 65 328 Average # Barriers per Tributary Streams Total Barriers Tributary 0.64 Average distance in miles between barriers …..And do (can) diadromous fish go beyond this point? 9 6 For all 328 potential barriers, we 100 asked, can diadromous fish potentially arrive at this point? 2 4 185 21 71 90 2 1 4 20 Passes All Diadromous No Passage Diadromous 141 Seasonal Passage Diadromous Limited Passage Diadromous Tidally Passable Diadromous Limited Passage Anadromous Catadromous Passge TBD Yes No Seasonally Eel Only Limited TBD Approximately 67 miles BARRIER EFFECTIVENESS accessible to river herring Probable Current Run Type Beyond Barrier 12 30 97 Diadromous 189 Eel only Resident Fish Only TBD n =328 BARRIER EFFECTIVENESS Of the 328 barriers surveyed, we asked, what are the major categories present? 8 34 ….And, what is the first barrier to river 134 herring on each of the 65 tributaries? 152 19 Natural Dams 38 7 Culverts/Bridges TBD 1 BARRIER TYPES Dam Culvert Bridge Natural Barren Land Deciduous Forest And, what is the land use/cover type? Developed High Intensity 3 1 1 Developed Low Intensity 18 Developed Medium Intensity 17 70 Developed Open Space 56 1 Emergent Herbaceous Wetland 29 Evergreen Forest 18 6 32 Grassland_Herbaceous 64 1 Mixed Forest NA 11 USGS LANDUSE DATA 2006 Open Water Pasture Hay Shrub Scrub LAND USE_COVER TYPE Woody Wetlands Claverack Creek 7 TODAY FUTURE GOAL 5 6 Removal of dam 5 may w/ dam removal FUTURE GOAL EEL allow eel to pass to RM 9.9 3 4 where the Claverack Creek Falls would present a 1 CLAVERACK CREEK significant challenge. CLAVERACK CREEK: The spillway of Dam #1 is approx 24’ elevation above the elevation at the mouth. It is a full barrier to fish passage. Dam #2 is breached and does not effect passage. Removal of Dams 1, 3 and 4 results in an additional 2.62 miles of passage for herring. Removal of dams 1,3,4 would allow herring to pass to RM 4.5 where Dam #5 Stottsville Dam/Falls would present an obstacle to fish and a significant challenge eel – even if removed. Sprout Brook FUTURE GOAL EEL Removal of Dams 4-13 would allow free access to American Eel FUTURE GOAL w/ dam removal 13 TODAY 4 SPROUT BROOK 1 3 SPROUT BROOK: Fish cannot pass beyond the 1st dam. Assuming that the Cortland Lake Dam ( #3 ) 37’ in height remains in place, removal of Dams 1 & 2 results in no more than an additional 1.22 miles of passage for herring. Rondout Creek ? FUTURE GOAL 2 w/ dam removal TODAY RONDOUT 1 RONDOUT CREEK: The 12’ ft high Eddyville Dam (#1) stands at the head of tide. Without removing the dam, fish would have no further access beyond the base of the dam. Removal of Dam #1 would result in head of tide migration to 3.6 miles upstream. Herring would likely pass to the natural ledges at RM 11.10 (7.1 stream miles). Eel would continue an undetermined distance – possibly to the next dam at RM 13.0 16 Tributaries where action can be prescribed. Tributaries are eliminated where The 16 remaining tributaries are marked as Tier 1 or Tier 2 based on the quality first man-made barrierSixty provides-five Lower no realistic Hudson opportunities. Tributaries: These include FERC relicensingand amount dams; 27of benefits Tributaries dams gained.and Whereculverts Removal First whose ofBarrier alllocation, barriers is Man size to - herringandMade structure provides make an estimated 30First miles Barrier additional is Either miles Natural of habitat. or RemovalMan-made of 1 st tier dams fish passage costly with little benefit; dams and culverts that are technically infeasible;provides andunrestricted those that access could to provide an estimated passage 19.6 to catadromous miles of habitat. only. .Fallkill Annsville Creek Mill Creek (R) Saw. Kill .Fallsburgh Creek Arden Brook Minisceongo Creek Sing. Sing Brook Fishkill Creek Black Creek Moodna Creek South Bay Creek Foundry. Brook Breakneck Brook .Moordener Kill South. Lattintown Creek Furnace Brook Catskill Creek .Muitzes Kill Sparkill Creek Gordons Brook Cedar Point Brook Murderers. Creek Sprout Brook .Hannacrois Creek Cheviot Creek .Normans Creek Stockport. Creek .Highland Brook Claverack Creek Peekskill Hollow Brook Stony. Creek .Hunters Brook Coeymans Creek .Philipse Brook Twaalfskill. Creek .Indian Brook Copper Mine Brook Pocantico River Vlockie. Kill .Indian Kill Vloman. Kill Coxsackie Creek .Poesten Kill .Kaaterskill Creek Croton River .Popolopen Brook Wades. Brook Kinderhook. Creek Crows Nest Brook Quassaic Creek Wallkill. River .Landsman Kill .Roeliff Jansen Kill Wappingers. Creek Crumb Elbow .Lattintown Creek Rondout Creek Wickers. Creek Dickey Brook .Maritje Kill Esopus Creek Roseton Brook Wynants Kill .Mill Creek (C) First Tier Dams Second Tier Dams 38 NaturalCulvert Second Tier Culverts 27 Man Dam-Made 27 Tributaries Where First Barrier to Herring is Man-Made .