raabe - use of restored habitat by migratory fishes

Use of restored habitat by migratory fishes following dam removals on North Carolina rivers

Joshua K. Raabe

Joseph E. Hightower

• Quaker Neck Dam at rkm 225

• Low-head dam, constructed in 1952

• Removed in 1998-99

Milburnie Dam(rkm 352)

Site of Quaker NeckDam (rkm 225)NC

SC

Raleigh

NeuseRiver

VA

0 20 40 KilometersN

NEUSE RIVER

FISH SPECIES

• American shad:

• Anadromous

• Focus of restoration efforts

• Striped bass:

• Anadromous

• Important fisheries

Alosa sapidissima

Morone saxatilis

PRE-DAM REMOVAL

Striped bass American shad

POST-DAM REMOVAL

Striped bass American shad

Milburnie

Dam

Former QuakerNeck Dam

Raleigh

Raleigh

New Bern

New Bern

2000: Higher Flow Year

Lower Flow Year

1999:

RIVER DISCHARGE:STRIPED BASS MIGRATIONS

DamNeuse River SiteTributary Site

Raleigh

Goldsboro

Milburnie Dam

Former Quaker Neck Dam

ContentneaCreek

Swift Creek

CrabtreeCreek

Mill Creek

Little River

Pamlico Sound

PLANKTON SAMPLING:NEUSE RIVER & TRIB’S

AMERICAN SHAD

Eggs & Larvae

Quaker Neck Dam

Former Quaker

Neck Dam

Former Quaker

Neck Dam

Hawkins

1977 - 1979

Burdick & Hightower

2003

Burdick & Hightower

2004

PresentAbsent

STRIPED BASS

Eggs & Larvae

Quaker Neck Dam

Former Quaker

Neck Dam

Former Quaker

Neck Dam

Hawkins

1977 - 1979

Burdick & Hightower

2003

Burdick & Hightower

2004

PresentAbsent

2003

2004

RIVER DISCHARGE:AMERICAN SHAD DISTRIBUTION

RIVER DISCHARGE:STRIPED BASS DISTRIBUTION

2003

2004

Quaker Neck Dam removal:

• Immediate response to restored habitat

• Upper river habitats important for spawning

• Seasonal flows affect use of restored habitat

NEUSE RIVER CONCLUSIONS

LITTLE RIVER

Neuse River tributary:

• Confluence ~ 212 rkm from

Pamlico Sound, NC

Low-head dam history:

• Three removals since 1998

• One notched dam

• Upstream dams present

Research amenable:

• Coverage (~80 rkm)

• Relatively narrow & shallow

Water Treatment Plant (notched, rkm 7)

Cherry Hospital (1998, rkm 3)

Rains Mill (1999, rkm 37)

Lowell Mill (2005, rkm 56)

Atkinson Mill (Present, rkm 82)

Little River

BuffaloCreek

Neuse River

FISH SPECIES

• American shad:

• Anadromous

• Focus of restoration efforts

• Gizzard shad:

• Potamodromous

• Migration patterns unstudied

• Flathead catfish:

• Potamodromous

• Invasive top predator

Alosa sapidissima

Dorosoma cepedianum

Pylodictis olivaris

FISH WEIR

• Resistance board weir panels:

� Sustain higher flows, clear debris

DS Cage

US Cage

Picket

• Tagging site

43 m wide

Flow

PASSIVE INTEGRATED TRANSPONDER

• PIT tags:

� Small (32 x 4 mm)

� Long-term

� Low cost

• Antennas record tagged fish:

� PIT tag ID, date & time

• Antenna dimensions:

� 1.4 m x 10.0 m (narrowest)

� 0.9 m x 22.0 m (widest)

GEAR LOCATIONS

Fish weirCherry Hospital (1998, rkm 3)

Rains Mill (1999, rkm 37)

Lowell Mill (2005, rkm 56)

Atkinson Mill (Present, rkm 82)

Water Treatment Plant (notched, rkm 7)

Little River

BuffaloCreek

Neuse River

PIT antenna

NOTCHED DAM

• Located 7 rkm from confluence

• Notched 1 m in height along middle

• Antennas: downstream, across, and

upstream

MIGRATIONS

American shad

gizzard shad

flathead catfish

Date (2010)

Num

ber

of fish

upstream

downstream

MIGRATIONS: FLOW

American shad gizzard shad flathead catfish

flow

Date (2010)

Num

ber

of fish

Flo

w (m

3/sec)

MIGRATIONS: FLOW

Date (2010)

Flo

w (m

3/sec)

Num

ber

of fish

Forest Service Antenna (12 rkm)

N=521

RESTORED HABITAT USE

Percent

An

ten

na

lo

ca

tio

n (

rkm

)

Notched

Removed

Removed

Present

Removed

Dam status:


Percent

An

ten

na

lo

ca

tio

n (

rkm

)

2009 (N = 195) 2010 (N = 439)

Notched

Removed

Removed

Present

Removed

Dam status:American shad


Cherry (3 rkm)

Rains(36 rkm)

Lowell(56 rkm)

Atkinson(82 rkm)

American shad

100% 26 – 39% 24 – 31% 8 – 15%

Gizzard shad

100% 49% 45 – 49% 31 – 45%

Flathead catfish

100% 4 – 16% 4 – 11% 0 – 4%


Date (2010)

Flo

w (m

3/sec)

Cherry

3 rkm

Atkinson

82 rkm

Rains

36 rkm

Lowell

56 rkm

gizzard shad, male, 350 mm


Cherry (3 rkm)

Rains(36 rkm)

Lowell(56 rkm)

Atkinson(82 rkm)

American shad

100% 26 – 39% 24 – 31% 8 – 15%

Gizzard shad

100% 49% 45 – 49% 31 – 45%

Flathead catfish

100% 4 – 16% 4 – 11% 0 – 4%

NOTCHED DAM PASSAGE

Successful Passage

Mean Delay (days)

Delay Range (days)

American shad

64 - 77% 1.3 – 3.4 <0.1 – 26.6

Gizzard shad

82% 2.7 - 5.8 <0.1 - 37.6

Flathead catfish

72 – 75% 1.3 – 5.3 <0.1 – 63.0

NOTCHED DAM PASSAGE

Successful Passage

Mean Delay (days)

Delay Range (days)

American shad

74 - 77% 1.3 – 3.4 <0.1 – 26.6

Gizzard shad

82% 2.7 - 5.8 <0.1 - 37.6

Flathead catfish

72 – 75% 1.3 – 5.3 <0.1 – 63.0

NOTCHED DAM PASSAGE

Date (2009)

Flo

w (m

3/s

ec)

WR, 3 rkmDND, 7 rkm

ND, 7 rkm

OD, 77 rkm

SH, 72 rkm

LO, 56 rkm

FS, 12 rkm

American shad,

female, 470 mm

NOTCHED DAM PASSAGE

Date (2009)

Flo

w (m

3/s

ec)

WR, 3 rkmDND, 7 rkm

ND, 7 rkm

OD, 77 rkm

SH, 72 rkm

LO, 56 rkm

FS, 12 rkm

American shad,

male, 458 mm

NOTCHED DAM PASSAGE

Successful Passage

Mean Delay (days)

Delay Range (days)

American shad

74 - 77% 1.3 – 3.4 <0.1 – 26.6

Gizzard shad

82% 2.7 - 5.8 <0.1 - 37.6

Flathead catfish

72 – 75% 1.3 – 5.3 <0.1 – 63.0

FLATHEAD CATFISH

• Predation on American shad (AS):

� Physical captures with PIT tag from AS (N =

3)

� Visual observation (N = 1)

LITTLE RIVER CONCLUSIONS

• Resistance board weir & PIT antennas:

� Very effective for low to moderate flows

• Restored habitat is being utilized

• Flow strongly influences migration / habitat use

• Notched dam can impede / delay migrations

• Flathead catfish predation & numbers a concern

D. Danesi

raabe - use of restored habitat by migratory fishes

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