Claiborne Lock and Dam Fish Passage Project

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Locks are Key to Fish Migration on Alabama River
Lewis Sumner Mobile District Paul Freeman The
Nature Conservancy
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Background

• Fish Passage a concern at large dams worldwide
• Mobile District has studied various ways to allow
  fish passage

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Background

• On Chattahoochee R. some success achieved through
  use of lockages and attraction flows
• Because of past success, TNC and others expressed
  interest in similar project on Alabama R. dams
  and locks.

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Claiborne Lock and Dam
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Millers Ferry Lock and Dam
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Alabama RiverKey Migratory Fish Species

• paddlefish
• blue sucker
• southern walleye
• Alabama shad
• Gulf sturgeon
• Alabama sturgeon
• striped bass
• alligator gar

• striped mullet
• blacktail river redhorses
• mooneye
• American eel
• blue catfish
• Atlantic needlefish
• skipjack herring
• freshwater drum

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Lock schedule at Claiborne (April 1 May 31)

• 10 a.m. open lower gates for 6 hours
• 4 p.m. open upper gates for 6 hours
• 10 p.m. open lower gates for 6 hours
• 4 a.m. open upper gates for 6 hours

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Lock schedule at Millers Ferry(April 1 May 31)

• 6 a.m. open lower gates for 4 hours
• 10 a.m. open upper gates for 4 hours
• 6 p.m. open lower gates for 4 hours
• 10 p.m. open upper gates for 4 hours

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Lockage Results at Claiborne

• 61 Calendar days available April 1-May 31
• Lockages occurred on 20 days
• First lockage April 13
• Last lockage May 7

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Lockage Results at Claiborne

• 85 Total lockages occurred
• 12 lockages for vessels
• 73 Total lockages for specifically for fish
  passage
• Without fish lockages there would have been only
  6 days with lockages and 12 total lockages

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Lockage Results at Millers Ferry

• 61 Total days
• Lockages occurred on 58 days
• First lockage April 3
• Last lockage May 31

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Lockage Results at Millers Ferry

• 378 Total lockages occurred
• 57 Lockages for vessels
• 321 Lockages specifically for fish passage
• Without fish lockages there would have been only
  27 days with lockages and 57 total lockages

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Fish Sampling
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Electro Fishing
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Paddle Fish caught
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Tag implantation
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Tagged Fish release
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Fish Tracking
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Opening upper lock gate
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Acknowledgements

• Auburn University
• Geological Survey of Alabama
• Alabama DCNR
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• The Nature Conservancy
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers