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Home My WebLink AboutMarch 06, 2003 - Climbing the ladder to success The Suffolk Times • March 6, 2003 • � lm In � e a er o succes s � �� , � �� m ._ � ; - ( �� f �i I .._� �� !� �i 1 li L 9 ;."w. �� ,a,.+.; :��.w -v. :�- �... ��`-aa� ,N'v.a . ��'� �N... � � �� y ! �,�� . � a i � �y Ma . : c'�a �� *�`��. a��. � � '�"� Ye .�,� a� �. s�,�� ,�•y. :�`t ��,w,"'...�+ -•"�"''k.�,:. '�»:�"` � _.'y ��' �*�a'� :�� "�. '�,me�"'?s�b`� �" "�°^ '^ m,� .o,A 4 '#�•��.5` `��',� , . �" �„� �+a.,:' , ; � +.�v. w..� ,��:�� C'" � �»... ' A'�*.- �. �a�,�_ ] k � - ��. �� FM`�a��; � �: � '�� - � Y�.,�� "� 3'" � �.�k�", .. � `X � � . . ��.: .�&' . - : �, .. . .. * ..,' . 3i �: e� k..�j�,��Y. ' . n� MK"��"' '$,u �'� .. �y a�� . . �Sb � ��:L�24\S�;, � � �,�`'�ai,��.. $*' ' � �F�E � ;�Y,� a�� . d� _. g. .�` 5 ,s,� . i. 'k. N�� ffi � "�-�, ',z "° - �3 .� au � �.� � � "�'^a `b, � ,qpa�:� ,�.�'. � �`:x.�w y'.€�". � �� ,.� � : ,; '';��:-. . �,T�, �. .�. .�a �� IY � �u �' '. -� s��'� r< �' %.�, � '1'� s -� Here you can see the fish ladder on the left that enables the alewives to swim upsandnover the dam in Grangebel Park in Riverhead to thelr spawning grounds in the upper reaches of the Peconic Rlver. On the right you can see Bob Conklln, who has helped with the installa- tion while WIII t Childress waits to scoop up a few of the fast-movtn sllver MosT oF us xExE otv the East End an anadromous fish,which means it look forward to the return of the spends most of its life at sea and osprey. It's been down in the comes up freshwater streams and Caribbean or perhaps as far south as rivers to spawn.It's a type of herring Brazil,spending the winter there and that grows 10 to 11 inches in length.It enjoying the fishing.Now it's return- has a silve ra - reen back with iri- ing here to its nesting grounds some- ry g y g where along our shores. Usually its descent silvery sides.It is quite a time of arrival is about the middle of handsome fish.It has the unique abili- March. I think of the 21st as the annu ty to locate its parental spawning al arrival date. grounds and it does this by smell.In There is an other words,each river or stream has FOC V$ its own peculiar odor that the fish can unseen rnigrant detect.Once located,it swims up to �N that comes to the spawning areas located in the 1`IATURE our shores even headwaters of our rivers and streams. y P8u1 before the But there was a problem when our b osprey arrives.It Stoutenburgh is a fish called alewives were ready to go up the — the alewife.It is Peconic River in Riverhead.There was a dam that stopped them.It was mto t e ay and eventually into the great bait for lobster ocean. pots.As a matter of Once the spawn has taken place and fact,96% of the built by an ingenious person or the young have hatched,they spend alewives caught in waterpower years ago.It was too high months in the fresh water feeding and Maine are used for lob- for the fish to jump over and so their growing.Then around the end of sum- ster bait.The fish is progress up the river was stopped at mer,they travel back down the river somewhat oily.It's con- the dam. and hopefully back into the ocean, sidered top bait for Realizing the problem the dam was where they will gain their greatest pots.It's also used ir. causing the fish,a group of concerned growth.Alewives are plankton feed- chunks on hook and individuals headed by Bob Conklin, ers,meaning they live on the micro- line to catch a variety retired Riverhead science teacher,and scopic soup of the ocean.As the fish of fish. Byron Young of the New York State grow larger they also eat small shrimp The first fish ladder DEC decided to see if they could small fish,etc. in Riverhead has work out a bypass system in the form This migration is a fascinating cycle worked so well the of a fish ladder.With that the fish and to think it happens practically in committee is now could swim up and gain access to the our back yard.It's a shame more peo- working on another river that would let them get to their ple haven't enjoyed seeing this unique ladder.The new one is planned for spawning grounds.So with the cooper migration of fish up the Peconic Little River.Few people realize there ation of many government agencies River.As the fish go up the ladder is even such a river in our area.It's and a group of dedicated people,a into the spawning grounds,they don't across the road from the county build- fish ladder was obtained and installed eat.Their focus is on one thing: ings on the east side of the highway in Over time,with alterations,it has spawning.Once that's over,they head Riverhead.If you follow this small proved most successful. down the river and eat ravenously to river,which I have done,it will bring You can see this fish ladder opera- build their strength up again. you into the county-owned Cranberry tion at Grangebel Park in Riverhead. Alewives have predators all along Bog Preserve.Then if you follow it So if ou are in Riverhead durin the way.The gulls and terns and hun- through the woods to the south,it gry freshwater fish in the upper reach- �oes into a narrow stream and then es of the river are after the little fry. eventually into Wildwood Lake.This Once they get out into the bay and is the second largest kettle hole lake March and April,walk to the back of ocean there are hungry bluefish, on Long Island.(Kettle holes are the park where the dam is located and weakfish and striped bass waiting for depressions left by great chunks of ice you will see the aluminum fish ladder them.I'm sure that's why the ospreys as the glacier receded northward.) in operation.If you're lucky,they come up when they do.They're look- This area was once a spawning area might even have a TV camera set up ing for something to eat and the new for alewives,but years ago man put a so you can see the fish swimming up arrivals are the alewives,along with dike across Little River to create a through the ladder to the water above. the bunkers and flounders.The , wet area for cranberry growing.It's Through the spring months and into ospreys wouldn't come up unless here the new fish ladder is being pro- early summer,fish will come up the there was a ready supply of fish to eat. posed. river to spawn.Adult fish spawn after Once in the ocean,the alewives Plans are to get this second fish lad- four years.Usually the male alewife travel in great schools like the men- der going by fall so it will be complet- comes first;he is smaller than the haden and,of course,these schools are ed for next year.It should be ready to female.Once they get up the river, transport a whole new group of spawning takes place,during daylight captured by fishermen alewives up Little River and hopeful- hours only.Spawning has to have just in their nets.The fish ly into Wildwood Lake.The project the right water temperature:around are used in many ways. will cost over$100,000.The county is Some enjoy them as being asked to put up half and Fish 55 to 60 degrees.We know the food.I've tried them groundwater that flows into the and they're not bad but and Wildlife to put up the other half. Peconic River is approximately 50 ou have to watch out And so,with our fingers crossed,who degrees,making the area ideal for y knows? Maybe by next year at this for the fine bones; time a new ladder will have been spawning. there are lots of them. One female will produce 60,000 to installed and functioning on Little Alewives are used in 100,000 eggs.Only a tiny fraction of River.Then our alewives,the hun- making fish meal, those will mature into adult fish. dreds or maybe even thousands that Nature has provided a bounty of eggs, which is high in pro- tein.It goes into feed have been seen milling around the knowing many will be eaten by a long for chickens and other base of that dam,will once again have list of predators.This is true with most animals,and it makes access to their ancestral spawning fish;though they lay an abundance of grounds farther up the river,Let's eggs,only a few ever reach adulthood. hope so. Four or five days later,the"spent" adults head back down the river out