Fairmount Fish Ladder

[Fish Devil]

Here's a real neat article......


The Big Story Is Fairmount’s Fish Ladder

Congressman Chaka Fattah and Senator Arlen Specter led the campaign to secure funds for the $3.3 million fish ladder project. Fish born in the Schuylkill will have an easier time getting home to spawn when the new fish ladder at the Fairmount Dam opens in late 2008. The goal is to connect all stretches of the river from Pottstown to Fort Mifflin.

The 1979 ladder now located on the west side of the Fairmount dam is inadequate. Most of the shad migrating upstream to spawn are stopped at Fairmount. The new ladder will provide improved hydraulics and increased flow to direct at least 45 varieties of fish through the ladder and up the river.

Shad swimming through the Fairmount fish ladder. “The Clean Water Act of 1972 has led to dramatic improvement in the Schuylkill’s water quality, with many species returning to the river,” said Philadelphia Water Department’s Howard Neukrug at the groundbreaking for the project. “The Fairmount Dam is again one of the best fishing spots in the city.”

Congressman Chaka Fattah and Senator Arlen Specter led the campaign to secure funds for the $3.3 million project. “A fully functioning modern ladder will improve the stock of fish above the Fairmount Dam by allowing them to get there,” said Fattah. “More important, it will impact and improve the ecology of the Schuylkill River far beyond our city’s boundaries. The shad, striped bass, river herring and other commercially viable and endangered species will finally be able to follow nature’s imperative to head upstream.”

Specter sees the river’s return to health as a resource in the community and an Impetus for tourism. “The river and the Water Works, the bike and walking paths are vastly important to city life,” he added.

The migrating fish and the fishermen who gather at the riverside along King and Kelly Drives won’t be the only beneficiaries of the new fish ladder. A live video feed from inside the fish ladder to the Interpretive Center will offer real-time educational opportunities to monitor activity in the river. Stay tuned.



At the groundbreaking for the new Fairmount Dam Fish Ladder were (from left) Philip Price, Fairmount Park Commissioner; Carol Collier, Executive Director, Delaware River Basin Commission; Dr. Douglas Austen, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Julie Slavet, district director for Congresswoman Allison Schwartz; Congressman Chakah Fattah; Bernard Brunwasser, Commissioner, Philadelphia Water Department; Lieutenant Colonel Gwen Baker, District Commander, Army Corps of Engineers; and Chris Crockett, Manager of Planning and Resources, Philadelphia Water Department.

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[ACarbone624]

Sounds good! At least they are putting some money to good use!

[john2558]

I'm confused
Is the new ladder open, just being built

[dj522]

The goal is to connect all stretches of the river from Pottstown to Fort Mifflin."

Any idea how many of these new ladders will be needed to get all the way to Pottstown?

[MULLICA BILL]

Fairmount is under construction and replaces the old one, it should be open in late spring 2009.

When I was a kid, there was an aquarium under the waterworks buildings. It was closed in the 60s? because it was a dump. I would fish it the corner of the complex near a large sewer, your line would constantly have condums hanging off it coming out of it. The aquarium guys had a hugh net they would drop in the same area and it would be loaded with hugh carp & succers mainly. There was silt from the coal mines polluting the river and the banks were loade with it. The silt actually formed an island between the dam and the boathouses. [This was removed when they started cleaning-up the river.] There were always small catfish including channels we used to fill an onion sack with them and give them away before going home. Before the expressway was built on the west side there was what was left of a lock for the canal on that side. We would climb down alongside of the dam and catch rats at night if the fish didn't bite. [Put a piece of bread on a hook and leave it onn the ground and wait for them to grab it.] River smells a heck of a lot better than 60 years ago. Happy memories from growing up in Philly.

[sgt358]

I'm very familiar with the Fairmount Dam fish ladder since it's construction. I used to go there and sit with the guy counting the fish that were using the ladder, various species. It opened with great fanfare, just like the new one. Within a few years, it was ignored by the state, was vandalized, the fence cut and people were fishing right in the blocks the fish used to climb the ladder. I just hope the new ladder get's better attention and maintenance than the old one, or it's a waste of money.

[SanibelFisher]

I am very interested in the ladder being replaced. I am hoping that after a couple years of operation there will be Shad further upstream beyond Norristown all the way to Pottstown and beyond. Think about all of the feeder creeks that might have Shad if they could swim above Fairmount.

Here is an earlier post on the subject:
http://www.thebassbarn.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=135598

I contacted the project manager for Army corps on the Fairmount (Terry Fowler) and she said Fairmount will be passing fish by this spring(09) - I hope so.

Here is an interesting link on the history of Shad on the Schuylkill:
http://www.kennethwmilano.com/page/E...8/Default.aspx

I would like to think I will be able to take my grandkids fishing on the upper Schuylkill shad fishing in the Spring sometime in the distant future. They are fixing the ladder because the shad could not fight the current up the old ladder very well. I hope it works. I have spoken to a few people who are not certain that the changes to the Fairmount dam will work since changes at other dams to accommodate Shad on similar rivers were unsuccessful. I am hopeful they learned from their mistakes and the Shad will freely swim up the ladder – with Stripers right behind them.

Here's to hope:
http://www.greentreks.org/watersheds...topic_shad.asp

I really wish they would update this one. Some of these projects have been completed. It would be nice to have one place to go to for an overview of Shad restoration on the Schuylkill:
http://www.fish.state.pa.us/shad_schu.htm

[bigfish4me]

I think its great that they are adding fish ladder's, they installed one in flatrock dam and in norristowns dam....only thing they forgot was plymouth dam smack dab in the middle of flatrock and norristown....i spend alot of time around plymouth dam and i have to tell you guys the way they are just letting it fall apart is disgraceful.....i honestly dont know what the hell is holding it up at this point.....because there isnt much left of it....i am guessing its cheaper to let mother nature take it down for them.

[SanibelFisher]

I think its great that they are adding fish ladder's, they installed one in flatrock dam and in norristowns dam....only thing they forgot was plymouth dam smack dab in the middle of flatrock and norristown....i spend alot of time around plymouth dam and i have to tell you guys the way they are just letting it fall apart is disgraceful.....i honestly dont know what the hell is holding it up at this point.....because there isnt much left of it....i am guessing its cheaper to let mother nature take it down for them.

The Plymouth dam is the only dam I can find nothing on. Is it actually breached enough to pass fish? It is a wood dam - Right?

It is funny that a Kyaking site has the best info I have found on this Dam.
http://stricklander.com/pages/Boat/C...hitewater.html