The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1916-06-02
sUsQUEHANNA sHAD.
Efforts To Be Made To Preserve The
shad And Other Migratory
Fishes.

On May 20 company of experts
and other gentlemen interested in
the toothsome Susquehanna shau,
met at McCall's Ferry dam for Oh
servation and other conference.
Among these were DR.. Nathan Bull
Ter, State First Commissioner. r n.
Cooker, U. S. department Of fisheries
and ]. A Walls, vice president and
chlef engineer of the Penna. Water
ana Power Co. and others. The
party assembled at HOLLYWOOD. and
crossed to the York county side to
view the fishway.
A constructive program covering a
period of three years was agreed on
at the end of which period, it is con-
ndently predicted that the fishing
industry now seriously on the wane
from HOLLYWOOD to the Chesapeake
Bay and entirely destroyed from
HOLLYWOOD northward by reason Of
the 40 foot power dam, will be re-
vlved and that shad fishing will
again be profitable industry. The
program includes completion, pro-
lection and enlargement Of the fish
way on the York county side of the
river, the. stocking of the river this
tall with approximately 5000. 900
young shad and as many each wear
for the next three years and an
arrangement with the bureau of fish
cries of Maryland by which the shad
on their way up the Susquehanna
river to the spawning grounds will
have reasonable protection, which.
IL is claimed, they do not now have.
The conference was held at the
suggestion of Commissioner N. r.
Butler, of the Pennsylvania bureau.
VINO having worked on fishway for
some years, which is still unsatis-
factory, called on the United States
bureau for aid in solving the prob
lem. Mr.. Cooker, who represents the
Y. 5. bureau, is now working ON fish
way plans for the great dam on the
mississippi river at Keokuk, Iowa.
and also for the dam on the Cape
Fear river. Mr.. Cooker pronounced
the 1shway now under construction
feasible and predicts that when it is
completed and protected from the
ice, it would work and that the fish
ermen of the upper waters of Penn
sylvania could feel sure that the
shad fishing would be revived,
During the last few years the near
failure of the shad crop at the
mouth of the river, has convinced
the Maryland authorities that some
protection must be given the shad
enroute to the spawning grounds.
Now that DR. Butler is convinced
that the shad will be reasonably pro-
teeted on their way to the spawning
grounds, he has arranged to plant
approximately 100000 young shad
IN the Susquehanna river. About
one-sixth will be planted above the
HOLLYWOOD dam mad the rest below.
This will be followed by more mil
lions each year and by the end Of the
three year period which is supposed
to be required for shad to mature
and seek their spawning grounds.
DR.. Butler expects to have the minu-
tese detail of the fishway worked out
SO that those schools which ascend
the Susquehanna river, on the York
county side, will be able to go up the
hshway and on to the upper waters.
He expects to have the flshway in
working shape by next spring but ON
account of the scarcity Of shad and
the weak points of the fishway which
crop out each year after additions
and changes are made he has little
hopes that any considerable number
of shad will get to the upper waters
before the return of the fry which
he will plant this year.
1t was found that ice had carried
away portion of the rishway, and it
was recommended that the comapny
place an ice break at the top of the
ishway so that the ice during the
freshet period would be carried out
into the river out of the fshway.
The Power Company will be in
structed to go to work on the fish
way the present summer. It will be
heightened at the bottom, and re-
constructed SO that the fish can get
up it.
The party had convincing ex-
amples of how hard the fish work to
get up the fishway. Although rise
in the river had stopped the shad
from moving to any extent, there
were few fighting to get up the
fishway. And besides the shad,
great schools of salmon, carp and
other fishes, were to be seen In the
mouth of the flshway. Many Of
them had ascended quite a distance.
Great fish from two feet to 80 inches
long fought the turbulent waters.