Author Topic: Dam Busting (Read 837 times)

Shorty · « **on:** February 26, 2004, 02:34:28 PM »

A lot in the news recently about removing old dams so that fish can once more swim upstream for spawning. The Kennebec and the Rapahanoch rivers were closed for 150 years to salmon, shad, etc. which return to "the place of their origin" for spawning. Well, I'm no ichthyologist, but how are fish to return to a place they've never been? Can someone explain this? :?

matt d · « **Reply #1 on:** February 27, 2004, 11:50:50 AM »

I don't have any idea why they would do this. I am no biologist but it seems like the spawn pattern has been ruined.

willis5 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 08, 2004, 06:15:35 AM »

couldn't they place fry or eggs upstream and let the fish swim out and back to spawn where they were introduced?

Shorty · « **Reply #3 on:** April 26, 2004, 01:45:20 PM »

After all this time, I got the answer to my question in todays paper. They release/stock fry into the river, above where the dams used to be, and hope that they will return at the end of their life cycle from the sea. Apparently it actually works!

Siskiyou · « **Reply #4 on:** July 23, 2004, 11:36:22 AM »

I recently read an interestion one on salmon. They truck the salmon from the hatchery to the coast by passing the stripe bass and water pumps. They then turn them lose near the coast.. In three years the salmon find there way back up the river(s) system to the hatchery. I guess it is based on the scent of the hatchery water.

Donna · « **Reply #5 on:** July 23, 2004, 03:37:32 PM »

I herd that the fish, like salmon, do fallow the sent in the river it is called the rivers chemical signature.

Donna