Event Title

Session B7 - Putting together the pieces: Multi-Dam passage of American shad on the Connecticut and Columbia Rivers

Location

UMass Amherst

Event Website

http://fishpassage.ecs.umass.edu/Conference2012/

Start Date

7-6-2012 11:10 AM

End Date

7-6-2012 11:30 AM

Description

Iteroparity is an important characteristic of American shad life history. Most fish passage provisions, however, have focused solely on upstream passage of adults and downstream passage of juveniles—downstream passage of adults has gotten very little attention. Bioenergetics models and recent survey data suggest that delays incurred in association with fishways may be acting to reduce migratory range, spawning success, and post-spawning survival. A group of researchers on the Columbia and Connecticut Rivers are collaborating to better understand migratory dynamics and the role of fish passage and delay on post-spawning survival. These studies have yielded data that challenge long-held assumptions about American shad. For example, upstream passage at most Columbia River dams is poor (< 50% of entrants). This is troubling, because Columbia River fishways were the prototypes from which many shad fishways on the East Coast were designed. Also, behavioral and energetic data appear to suggest that upstream migration is far more directed than previously thought, and evidence is mounting that spawning may be primarily associated with downstream migration. This has important implications for prioritization of fish passage and protection. Much more work is needed on fundamental life-history aspects of American shad in support of holistic management strategies that balance the need for access to habitat with protection of populations.

Comments

Dr. Castro-Santos is a Research Ecologist at the S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center. He has been working on fish passage issues for more than 20 years. He uses an integrated approach, combining novel telemetry and statistical techniques to understand the interplay between hydraulics, physiology, and behavior and how these can function together to provide safe, timely, and effective passage for riverine and migratory species

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Jun 7th, 11:10 AM Jun 7th, 11:30 AM

Session B7 - Putting together the pieces: Multi-Dam passage of American shad on the Connecticut and Columbia Rivers

UMass Amherst

Iteroparity is an important characteristic of American shad life history. Most fish passage provisions, however, have focused solely on upstream passage of adults and downstream passage of juveniles—downstream passage of adults has gotten very little attention. Bioenergetics models and recent survey data suggest that delays incurred in association with fishways may be acting to reduce migratory range, spawning success, and post-spawning survival. A group of researchers on the Columbia and Connecticut Rivers are collaborating to better understand migratory dynamics and the role of fish passage and delay on post-spawning survival. These studies have yielded data that challenge long-held assumptions about American shad. For example, upstream passage at most Columbia River dams is poor (< 50% of entrants). This is troubling, because Columbia River fishways were the prototypes from which many shad fishways on the East Coast were designed. Also, behavioral and energetic data appear to suggest that upstream migration is far more directed than previously thought, and evidence is mounting that spawning may be primarily associated with downstream migration. This has important implications for prioritization of fish passage and protection. Much more work is needed on fundamental life-history aspects of American shad in support of holistic management strategies that balance the need for access to habitat with protection of populations.

https://scholarworks.umass.edu/fishpassage_conference/2012/June7/7