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Dam Removal Invites Fish Back up Octoraro Creek
The unused stone and timber Octoraro Creek Dam -- located in Cecil County, four miles upstream of where the creek flows into the Susquehanna -- has formed a barrier to fish passage, preventing them from moving upstream to spawn. Dam removal is scheduled to begin Friday, Oct. 7, at 10:30 a.m., ultimately re-opening 19 miles of spawning habitat for anadromous fish species such as American and hickory shad, yellow and white perch, and the catadromous American eel. One of the first of its kind in Maryland, the dam removal is permitted to occur in a flowing stream rather than requiring dewatering the dam and pumping streamflow around the site. The removal is WEATHER DEPENDENT and will not occur if there has been or will be rainfall. Press contact: Megan Evans, 410-260-8016, marts@dnr.state.md.us.
October 3, 2005The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov