More than 250 fish rescued in Dec. 19 study of pools in passageway by Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam

The Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association partnered with Susquehanna University for another fish rescue and research opportunity on Dec. 19, 2024, rescuing a total of 263 fish, including numerous eels, smallmouth bass and other species, after extended rainy weather led to an overflow of the Susquehanna River into the new fish passageway at the Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam near Shamokin Dam. 

This was in addition to a similar effort on Nov. 27, 2024, when more than 600 fish were captured, recorded and released into the nearby river.

The passageway is designed to only flow with water when the inflatable dam bags are filled for the summer or, in the offseason, when the river rises enough from high-water events to overflow into the passageway. Prior to Dec. 19, the passageway had been flowing with river water for five consecutive days before subsiding, stranding a new set of fish in various pools built into the passageway as rest stops. 

​"Between now and the summer, whenever we have high-water events that bring the river level to about 12 feet or higher, we expect there to be a flow through the passageway, and when that water goes down, we will need to address the various fish trapped in the pools," said Riverkeeper John Zaktansky. "It is more than catch-and-release in that we are also recording species, taking measurements and making this a regular opportunity to learn what species are in the river at this location and using the passageway. Over time, we are excited what the data will hopefully teach us."

Most of the work was done in Pool 1, the closest to the Shamokin Dam side of the river. In that depression, which measured 65 feet long by 28 feet wide with a maximum depth of 75 centimeters, a total of 240 fish were collected using electrofishing equipment run by Sara Ashcraft and Dan Ressler, of Susquehanna University. 

Among them were seven eels, six of which were juveniles averaging 230 mm (9 inches) and one was an adult measuring 650 mm (25.59 inches). There were also 15 smallmouth bass, 40 rosyside daces and a variety of other species, including bluegill, green sunfish, bluntnose minnows, rock bass, redbreast sunfish, swallowtail shiners, marginated madtoms, fantail darters, greenside darters, tesselated darters, pumpkinseeds and a white crappie. 

Pool 2, which was still partially connected to the river, measured 85 by 35 feet at the time of the event with a maximum depth of 126 centimeters, yielded 23 fish. Among them was a juvenile eel, smallmouth bass, white crappie, black crappie, bluegills, redear sunfish, fantail darters, creek chubb, fall fish, rosyside dace and a spotfin shiner. 

Between the two rescue and research events, a total of 907 fish have been rescued from pools in the passageway. 

Check out information about our Nov. 27, 2024, fish rescue and research event by clicking here. If you have any questions or comments on this project, please contact Riverkeeper John Zaktansky at [email protected]