Brandywine Conservancy's Environmental Management Center
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News
Shad in the Schools Program Releases Shad Fry
into Brandywine River in Delaware and Pennsylvania
Part of Brandywine Conservancy's ongoing work to restore American shad to the Brandywine River
Chadds Ford, PA May 6, 2010 -- Students from local schools will release approximately 8,000 shad fry into the Brandywine on May 7 as part of the Brandywine Conservancy's effort to restore the fish to the river. The small fryso tiny they are barely more than "two eyes and a wiggle"will grow several inches before they swim downstream in the fall and out to the Atlantic Ocean, where they will mature over the next 4-6 years. Many will try to return to spawn in the Brandywine where they were "imprinted" when young.
For the past week, the students from Chadds Ford Elementary (third grade), Pocopson Elementary (fourth grade), in Pennsylvania, and Tower Hill School (fifth grade) and Wilmington Friends School (seventh grade) in Delaware, have tended to the eggs as part of a hands-on approach to learning about water quality, ecology, and history. The University of Delaware also participated through its Water Resources Agency. Each school funded the costs of its equipment and the teachers attended a training workshop.
On Sunday, May 2, Conservancy staff member, Robert Lonsdorf, obtained freshly harvested fertilized shad eggs (roe) from the Potomac Riverenough to provide several thousand eggs to five schools. The roe arrived in the classrooms on Monday, May 3, and were placed inside a special hatchery system the students had set up in their classrooms. Students closely monitored the eggs' growth to ensure as many eggs hatched into fry as possible, checking the water temperature, chlorine, nitrates, ammonia and pH, following protocols used for over 10 years in a similar program along the Potomac River.
"The Brandywine Conservancy has long recognized that the restoration of migratory fish would bring enormous environmental and recreational benefits to the Brandywine," said Sherri Evans-Stanton, director of the Conservancy's Environmental Management Center, which initiated the programs in the schools. "We are excited that the students of these local schools in both Pennsylvania and Delaware have participated in this important project from the beginning stages to help in the migration of this critical species."
Historically, the Brandywine supported tens of thousands of American shad. The fish was an important food source for Native Americans as well as early settlers. However, in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, numerous dams were constructed along the river to power mills. These dams, which reduced passage for fish, are now being examined to determine their current usefulness and studied for possible construction of fish passage options.
Restoring American shad and other migratory fish would likely increased the populations of birds and mammals (e.g., heron, mink, fox) due to the augmented food supply, increase the biological vitality of the watershed and contribute to recreational fishing.
The Brandywine Conservancy has worked since 2003 to restore American shad to the Brandywine River. Building on relationships with the dam owners in Delaware and Pennsylvania, the Conservancy has produced a feasibility study about restoring the shad to each state. Both studies describe engineering options such as fish ladders, rock ramps and partial or full removal of dams to provide fish passage. In addition, the studies outline costs, required permits, and possible funding sources to implement the restoration effort. The reports may be read online at www.brandywineconservancy.org. While many dams remain, the Conservancy expects that there will be available increased habitat when the shad born in 2010 return to the river.
The Brandywine Conservancy was founded in 1967. It holds more than 400 conservation easements and has protected over 43,000 acres in Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania, as well as New Castle County in Delaware. The Environmental Management Center provides conservation services to landowners, farmers, municipalities and developers. The staff of professional planners and natural resource managers offers technical assistance and expertise for conservation and comprehensive land use planning. Conservation easements, assistance to local governments and water protection efforts are the key elements of these programs. In 2008, the Conservancy was among the first land trusts in the country to be awarded accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.
For more information about the Conservancy's programs and services, call 610-388-2700 or visit the Conservancy's website at www.brandywineconservancy.org.
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