August 20, 2012 at 12:07 pm
[caption id="attachment_396" align="alignleft" width="300"]
IFW biologists and NextEra Energy biologists electro-fish for young salmon[/caption]
The Moosehead Lake region has always been a hotspot for landlocked salmon fishing, with one of the most fished rivers being the East Outlet of the KennebecRiver. The East Outlet is famous for producing wild, healthy salmon, however, each spring that passes begets heavy surges of water pushing down the river, washing away some of the sections of small gravel that is necessary for successful salmon spawning.
Salmon populations have been monitored by biologists since the 1970’s using a trap in the East Outlet Dam fishway. Between the 1970’s and early 1990’s the repercussions of the fast-moving flows sweeping away the small gravelly areas of the river were recognized. An average of 325 young salmon smaller than 12 inches were caught moving upstream from the outlet to the lake; a river the size of the East Outlet should have been producing thousands of young salmon.
IFW biologists and Kennebec Water Power Inc. (the operators of the East Outlet dam) established two side channels on the river in 1998 where there would be enough water and flow to support spawning but not enough flow to wipe out the smaller gravel and rocks needed for young fish (fry) survival.
Since the fabrication of these salmon sanctuaries, the East Outlet fishway has continued to be monitored every other year for wild salmon coming up stream into the lake. The success of the side channel project is evident; the average number of wild salmon less than 12 inches caught in the fishway is 900 annually. This year, approximately 200 salmon over 17 inches were also caught in the fishway. These fish were robust and healthy and should make fall salmon anglers very happy in the coming months.
[caption id="attachment_397" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Landlocked salmon fry on a fish measuring board[/caption]
To further monitor the side channels and their suitability for salmon fry, IFW biologists and NextEra Energy biologists teamed up and electro-fished one of the side channels using a generator. The biologists were expecting to find large numbers of salmon fry and moderate number of salmon parr (larger juvenile fish). Although they were successful in finding lots of fry, no parr were observed in the side channel. However, in this instance, not finding half of what they were seeking might have been a good thing! The fry were all significantly larger than most fry that age. If the parr in this section of the river were also significantly larger than most parr, they could have moved into faster flowing waters earlier than normal, and thus been absent from the channel being surveyed. Needless to say this is a very exciting development for the biologists and anglers who have dedicated so much of their time and energy to East Outlet salmon!
Thank you to Mike Moon, NextEra Energy’s dam operator, IFW region E biologists, and NextEra Energy’s biologists!
IFW biologists and NextEra Energy biologists electro-fish for young salmon[/caption]
The Moosehead Lake region has always been a hotspot for landlocked salmon fishing, with one of the most fished rivers being the East Outlet of the KennebecRiver. The East Outlet is famous for producing wild, healthy salmon, however, each spring that passes begets heavy surges of water pushing down the river, washing away some of the sections of small gravel that is necessary for successful salmon spawning.
Salmon populations have been monitored by biologists since the 1970’s using a trap in the East Outlet Dam fishway. Between the 1970’s and early 1990’s the repercussions of the fast-moving flows sweeping away the small gravelly areas of the river were recognized. An average of 325 young salmon smaller than 12 inches were caught moving upstream from the outlet to the lake; a river the size of the East Outlet should have been producing thousands of young salmon.
IFW biologists and Kennebec Water Power Inc. (the operators of the East Outlet dam) established two side channels on the river in 1998 where there would be enough water and flow to support spawning but not enough flow to wipe out the smaller gravel and rocks needed for young fish (fry) survival.
Since the fabrication of these salmon sanctuaries, the East Outlet fishway has continued to be monitored every other year for wild salmon coming up stream into the lake. The success of the side channel project is evident; the average number of wild salmon less than 12 inches caught in the fishway is 900 annually. This year, approximately 200 salmon over 17 inches were also caught in the fishway. These fish were robust and healthy and should make fall salmon anglers very happy in the coming months.
[caption id="attachment_397" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Landlocked salmon fry on a fish measuring board[/caption]
To further monitor the side channels and their suitability for salmon fry, IFW biologists and NextEra Energy biologists teamed up and electro-fished one of the side channels using a generator. The biologists were expecting to find large numbers of salmon fry and moderate number of salmon parr (larger juvenile fish). Although they were successful in finding lots of fry, no parr were observed in the side channel. However, in this instance, not finding half of what they were seeking might have been a good thing! The fry were all significantly larger than most fry that age. If the parr in this section of the river were also significantly larger than most parr, they could have moved into faster flowing waters earlier than normal, and thus been absent from the channel being surveyed. Needless to say this is a very exciting development for the biologists and anglers who have dedicated so much of their time and energy to East Outlet salmon!
Thank you to Mike Moon, NextEra Energy’s dam operator, IFW region E biologists, and NextEra Energy’s biologists!Categories