Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-09-26
FISHWAY IS UP
TO STANDARD
Report Shows Difficulties of
Giving Shad Passage Up
River

The State Department of Fisheries
Is just in receipt of a report from the
United States Bureau of Fisheries on
conference held at McCalls Ferry
dam between the United States Bureau
of Fisheries. Commissioner of FISH
cries y. r. Butler and the vice-presi-
dent and chief engineer of the Penn
sylvania Water and Power Company
The object of the conference was to
confer with the above officials with
reference to the formation of plans for
proposed tests of the efficiency of the
York county fshway at HOLLYWOOD.
DR.. Coker, of the United States Bu-
reau of Fisheries, goes into this matter
in detail and says the fishway is up to
advanced methods. In a table show
ing variation in stream flow of certain
rivers in the United States it shows
that changing flood stages in the Sus-
Guehanna river are greater, in COM
parison with stream length than any
of the other rivers. The table COM
pareS the drainage area of ten rivers.
among them being the Potomac, Della
ware. Hudson, Sacramento, Colorado.
Columbia, Tennessee Savannah and
| Alabama.
Some of the reasons given in the re-
port for the decline of shad in the Sus-
quehanna are overfishing, disturbance
of the original condition of stream
| now and pollution, and in part also to
| the obstruction of the river by dam
which has caused the fishery in the
river above the dam to cease. These
conditions, the report states, have un-
deniably led to unusual efforts on the
| part of the state authorities and the
power company to provide fishway
that would permit the shad to pass
over the dam and ascend to the upper
portion of the river.
In a test taken in 1913, covering a
period of forty-eight days, of the Lam
caster county fishway, which was of
the improved Gail type with thirty
nine pockets, the report states that
exclusive of eels there were found only
sixty-tivc fish of six species, not a
single shad being among the fish so
caught 1t also states that except for
the eels none of the species so taken
are known to be dependent upon ex-
tensive migratory movements. In COM
menting on this Gail fishway the re-
port states that 1t is apparent that the
flshway was entirely ineffective for the
purpose intended (the passage of shad)
or for any other purpose except the
passage of eels.
In speaking of the York county fish
way, which was constructed under the
direction of Commissioner Butler. the
report states that in 1915 a new fish
way was constructed on the York
county side on plans furnished by the
Commissioner of Fisheries of Penn
sylvania, the fishway representing
radical departure from any plan of
fishway built in this country. The idea
is an exceedingly interesting one and
has been carried out at considerable
expense. Much thought and care has
evidently been devoted to the matter
by both the State Fish Commissioner
and the power company. The York
county flshway was constructed in
1918, but since that time has been
heightened and the design modified in
certain respects.
The conference was originally in
tended to inspect the fishway in refer
ence to the local conditions at Holt
wood, but the report shows that in
view of the fact that the subject of
fishways in general is one of vital in
terest to the bureau and the problems
of one place are TO some extent re
peated in another. the subject is
treated In an exhaustive manner. The
report goes on to say that the difficul-
ties in the construction of fishways and
the maintenance of them in proper