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Abstract
The installation of Bosher's Dam fishway and notches or breaches to all dams downstream in the James River, Virginia, were completed during 1989–1999 to help restore the river's alosine populations by providing access to over 400 river kilometers (rkm) of historical spawning habitat that had been blocked for about 175 years. We used stationary radiotelemetry receivers in April–July 2009 to assess the passage of tagged adult American Shad Alosa sapidissima through the fall zone and Bosher's Dam fishway. Three receivers encompassed 25 rkm from below head of tide to 3 rkm above Bosher's Dam. Ninety-four American Shad were radio-tagged over 30 d, either at the head of tide (n = 64) or upstream below the Bosher's Dam fishway (n = 30). No American Shad tagged at the head of tide were detected at the base of Bosher's Dam, and none were detected above Bosher's Dam fishway. However, several tagged fish released at the base of Bosher's Dam remained there for days (
= 4.0 d, SD = 5.9 d) without negotiating the fishway. These results suggest that passage at Bosher's Dam and through other fall zone dams needs improvement and that American Shad access to historical spawning habitat remains thwarted.
Received April 18, 2012; accepted January 10, 2013
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This was a cooperative project among Virginia Commonwealth University, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Grant FONS 52330-2007-014), and the Fish America Foundation. We are grateful to Alan Weaver and his field crew (Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries) for assisting with the capture and tagging of American Shad throughout the study area, especially at the base of Bosher's Dam. Comments from two anonymous reviewers and Joe Hightower significantly improved the quality of this paper. The following landowners provided access to their property for the placement of radiotelemetry receivers: Mr. and Mrs. Dean Williams (HMU, Inc.) and Chris Klotz (Commodore, Virginia Power Boat Association).