Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Recap from the December 5th 2013 MWMC Annual Conference Two part session on Patapsco River dam removals and associated monitoring 1. “Fish Passage in Maryland” –Jim Thompson, MDNR 2. “Restoration of Alosines and the American Eel in the Patapsco River Valley”Serena McClain, AmericanImage Rivers or Graphic 3. “Geomorphic Monitoring of the Patapsco River Following the Removal of the Simkins Dam, Patapsco River, Maryland”- Graham Boardman, McCormickTaylor 4. “Impacts of Dam Removal on Patapsco Diadromous Fish”- William Harbold, MDNR 5. “Effects of Simkins Dam Removal on Benthic Macroinvertebrate and Fish Assemblages in the Patapsco River”- Jay Kilian and Patrick Graves, MDNR 1 February 10th 2014 Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Recap from the December 5th 2013 MWMC Annual Conference Background • “Fish Passage in Maryland” –Jim Thompson, MDNR • “Restoration of Alosines and the American Eel in the Patapsco River Valley”Serena McClain, AmericanImage Rivers or Graphic Monitoring Results 2 • “Geomorphic Monitoring of the Patapsco River Following the Removal of the Simkins Dam, Patapsco River, Maryland”- Graham Boardman, McCormickTaylor • “Impacts of Dam Removal on Patapsco Diadromous Fish”- William Harbold, MDNR • “Effects of Simkins Dam Removal on Benthic Macroinvertebrate and Fish Assemblages in the Patapsco River”- Jay Kilian and Patrick Graves, MDNR January 21st 2014 Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Recap from the December 5th 2013 MWMC Annual Conference Maryland Water Monitoring Council Thursday, December 5th 2013 “Fish Passage in Maryland” Jim Thompson Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Recap from the December 5th 2013 MWMC Annual Conference Wilson Mill Fish-ladder Deer Creek Susquehanna River In 1987 the Chesapeake Bay Agreement established a fish passage commitment: “To provide fish passage at dams, and remove stream blockages wherever necessary to restore passage for migratory fish.” Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Recap from the December 5th 2013 MWMC Annual Conference The Bay Program’s first Fish Passage Goal: •Opened over 1,570 miles of habitat Bay-wide •Approximately 90% of historic shad habitat opened •Focused on shad and herring •In MD, most projects were fish ladders A new goal: • 3,500 miles opened by 2025. •Priority given to projects which open large stretches of habitat. •Provide passage for all fish. •Dam removal favored over fish ladders. Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Recap from the December 5th 2013 MWMC Annual Conference Embry Dam Removal Rappahannock River Chesapeake Bay WHY DAM REMOVAL? -More efficient than fishways. -Require little or no maintenance. -Provide passage for ALL fish & aquatic organisms. -Restore rivers & streams to a natural, free-flowing state. -Improve public safety. Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Recap from the December 5th 2013 MWMC Annual Conference ECONOMICS • • • • Many dams no longer serve the function for which they were constructed On average, it costs 3 to 5 times more to repair a dam once than remove it Fish passage facilities average $45,000/vertical ft. Removal eliminates owner liability, maintenance and operation costs Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Recap from the December 5th 2013 MWMC Annual Conference “Restoration of Alosines & American Eel in the Patapsco River Valley” Maryland Water Monitoring Council Thursday, December 5, 2013 Serena McClain Daniels Dam Union Dam Bloede Dam Simkins Dam Union Dam Removed Sept. 2010 Active sediment management $1.5 Million Simkins Dam Removed Nov 2010 Passive Sediment Management $800k Daniels Dam – Needs $1,000,000+ in repairs to bring back into MDE Dam Safety compliance. Funds have been secured for a feasibility study/design to begin in 2014/2015. Bloede Dam Design underway Submit for permits in 2014 $5 Million in funds secured Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring Geomorphic Monitoring of the Patapsco River Following the Removal of the Simkins Dam, Patapsco River, Maryland Graham C. Boardman- McCormick Taylor Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring •Tracked sediment transport •Determined areas of erosion and deposition •Provided data for adaptive management •Confirmed simulations Using… • Cross Sections • Digital Elevation Models • Facies and Site Mapping • Grain Size Analysis • Permanent Photo Monitoring Sites • Bathymetric Survey Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring Simkins Impoundment • 65% existing evacuation occurring within 5 months, 46% of total impoundment volume • 98% existing evacuation within one year, 70% of total impoundment volume • ~30,000cy remain in large armored bars Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring Stored material in Simkins Impoundment in armored mid-channel bars Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring Conditions observed pre-removal have returned in high slope areas downstream of the Simkins Dam Pre-Removal September, 2010 Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring Aggradation post dam removal Post-Removal March, 2011 Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring Recovery begins less than one year after removal Post-Removal September, 2011 Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring Recovery continued Post-Removal March, 2012 Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring Recovery continued (Pre-Sandy) Post-Removal October, 2012 Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring Recovery continued (Post-Sandy) Post-Removal November, 2012 Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring Current Conditions Post-Removal October, 2013 Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring Patapsco River Restoration Project Physical Monitoring Conclusions • Sand dominated impoundments react rapidly to dam removal • Response is both process and event driven • Base flow is capable of transporting significant quantities of material shortly after dam removal (process based) • Larger events are required to access materials for mobilization from mid channel bars, etc. (event based) • Recovery occurs quickly in downstream reaches as equilibrium is regained • How does data translate to dams without “mufflers” downstream • What does this tell us about the Bloede Dam removal? Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Assessing Impacts on American Eels and Anadromous Fish Image or Graphic 30 William Harbold Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Assessing Impacts on American Eels and Anadromous Fish American Eels Main objective: Determine whether American eels will utilize the river and tributaries to the river upstream of Simkins and Union dams after removal Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Assessing Impacts on American Eels and Anadromous Fish Collected eels from 21 sites 2009-2012 Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Assessing Impacts on American Eels and Anadromous Fish •Present at all 21 sites monitored 2009-2012, all 24 in 2013 •In general: •Increase in size with increasing distance upstream •Decrease in abundance with increasing distance upstream Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Assessing Impacts on American Eels and Anadromous Fish Observed changes following dam removal… Bloede Dam 200 Simkins Dam Union Dam Daniels Dam 100 0 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 M ainstem Sites -100 Tributary Sites Extant Dam -200 Removed Dam -300 -400 -500 Distance From Baltimore Harbor (rkm) Change in Mean Individual Eel Body Weight (g/eel) Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Assessing Impacts on American Eels and Anadromous Fish Bloede Dam Simkins Dam 95 Union Dam Daniels Dam 70 45 Mainstem Sites Tributary Sites 20 Extant Dam Removed Dam -5 10 15 20 25 30 -30 -55 Distance from Baltimore Harbor (rkm) 35 40 Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Assessing Impacts on American Eels and Anadromous Fish Anadromous Fish Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Assessing Impacts on American Eels and Anadromous Fish • What fish species currently enter the Patapsco River during the spring? • What is the upstream extent of each anadromous species’ distribution in the river? • Do any species currently reach Bloede Dam? • How much of a barrier is Bloede Dam to migration? • How do the distributions and abundance of spring migrating species change following dam removal? Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Assessing Impacts on American Eels and Anadromous Fish Sampled anadromous fish at 5 sites 2011 & 2012 Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Assessing Impacts on American Eels and Anadromous Fish 6 Species were found downstream of Bloede Dam Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Assessing Impacts on American Eels and Anadromous Fish Only 1 species was found upstream… Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Assessing Impacts on American Eels and Anadromous Fish 12 Species of resident fish have been observed using the ladder •Bluegill •Common shiner •Fallfish •Redbreast Sunfish •Rock Bass •Smallmouth Bass •Common Carp •Brown Trout •Northern Hogsucker •White Sucker •Gizzard Shad Most abundant •Rainbow Trout BUT NO ANADROMOUS FISH (aside from one lonely sea lamprey) Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Assessing Impacts on American Eels and Anadromous Fish Bloede Dam is a migration barrier to anadromous fish despite the presence of a fish ladder. The effects of Simkins Dam removal on benthic macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages in the Patapsco River Jay Kilian and Patrick Graves Maryland Department of Natural Resources Resource Assessment Service Annapolis, MD Simkins Dam Removal… Physical Changes Upstream changes: – River bottom substrate shifted from sand/silt to cobble/boulder – Habitat became more heterogeneous Downstream changes: – River bottom substrate shifted from cobble/boulder to sand/silt – Habitat became more homogeneous Before After So, how did the fish and bugs respond to these changes? Monitoring effects of dam removal… • Fish and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages sampled annually • Pre-removal: 2009-2010 (Baseline data collected) • Post-removal: 2011-present • MBSS sampling protocols: • Stream fishes sampled using quantitative two-pass electrofishing • Benthic macroinvertebrates sampled using D-net from 20 ft2 of best available habitat Fish Assemblages • Examined quantitative data collected from five sites sampled in the Patapsco River mainstem • Two sites were “Control” sites – located >10 rkms above Simkins Dam • Three sites were “Impact” sites – located within area affected by dam removal In downstream areas covered by released sediment… • • • • declines in fish density and biomass declines in benthic riffle species declines in abundance of Smallmouth Bass YOY absence (in 2012) of Smallmouth Bass at sites between Simkins and Bloede dams Negative effects of dam removal appear to be temporary – In 2013, we observed the return of Shield Darter (a benthic riffle species) and Smallmouth Bass at sites between Simkins and Bloede dams. In upstream areas where impounded sediment was eroded away… • increases in fish abundance • decrease in density of non-native fishes Positive effects of dam removal in upstream areas were more readily observable in the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages Benthic Macroinvertebrate Assemblages Benthic Macroinvertebrate Conclusions • Changes in macroinvertebrate communities appear to be associated with shifts in substrate • In downstream areas where the dominant substrate changed from: • decrease in %Non-insects • increase in %Burrowers • In upstream areas where the dominant substrate changed from: • decrease in %Burrowers and %Non-insects • increase in %EPT and EPT richness • decrease in lentic individuals • increase in lotic-erosional taxa and individuals Patapsco River Dam Removal Study: Recap from the December 5th 2013 MWMC Annual Conference • Jim Thompson- [email protected] • Serena McClain- [email protected] • Graham [email protected] • William Harbold- [email protected] • Jay Kilian- [email protected] • Patrick Graves- [email protected]
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