American shad showed up in Virginia tributaries in their strongest numbers in years this spring, but their struggles on the Susquehanna River continued as biologists reported the lowest-ever shad count at the Conowingo Dam. In between, biologists on the Potomac and Nanticoke rivers reported decent spawning runs, while hatchery operators generally reported average success in efforts to stock young shad into Bay tributaries.
This year’s spawning run was also delayed, biologists said, probably because of the long winter and protracted cool temperatures during the spring.
That may have contributed to the problems on the Susquehanna, where the first American shad did not reach the Conowingo Dam fish elevator until April 24 — weeks later than usual. Then, storms at the end of April resulted in higher-than-normal flows that appeared to hamper efforts to get fish upstream.
“The Susquehanna was definitely disappointing this year,” said Joshua Tryninewski, a fisheries biologist with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. “That was definitely a combination of the late spring and high flows.”
Ultimately, just 10,425 American shad were lifted over the 100-foot-high dam, located 10 miles upstream from the Bay. That was the worst year since 1997, when a series of passages on lower Susquehanna River dams began trying to get migrating shad up the river.
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