Last year was a record-setting year for the Susquehanna shad program. More than 163,000 shad were lifted at Conowingo Dam in Maryland. More than 4,500 American shad passed the York Haven Fish Ladder during last year's migration. The goal for American shad restoration is to annually have 2 million fish upstream of York Haven Dam. The American shad is the largest member of the herring family.
Adults commonly reach four to eight pounds.
These silvery fish are prized by anglers for their sporting qualities. Like all anadromous fish, shad spend most of their life in the ocean and return to freshwater to spawn. Each spring, adult shad migrate into coastal rivers from Florida to Newfoundland. DCNR's Bureau of State Parks last year replaced two of its inflatable segments, or bags, to ensure continued operation of the dam.