EPA Proposal May Help Save the Sturgeon

From a post by Tony Hagen (editor@newjersey.sierraclub.org) 

With sturgeon on the brink of extinction in the Delaware River, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced a draft rule (graphic above) that would ease one of the threats to this highly sensitive—some might say “canary”—fish. The EPA plans to set limits on how low oxygen levels can drop in the river.

Survival rates of Atlantic sturgeon and shortnose sturgeon tend to drop as dissolved oxygen levels decline. The EPA believes it can improve conditions with tighter controls on discharges of sewage and industrial waste. 

Anthropogenic activity (human waste), combined with warmer temperatures, causes algae to proliferate, and when algae die, their decomposition consumes oxygen in the river. This causes hypoxia, or oxygen-starved environments, which are especially harmful to sturgeon. 

Heavy sewage discharge from the Philadelphia area has been a chief cause of this problem. Also, nutrients flowing into the Delaware River from farming, golf courses, and lawn maintenance in neighborhoods along the Delaware River also contribute to the growth of algae and hypoxia. 

read more at sierraclub.org/new-jersey/blog/2024/03/epa-proposal-may-help-save-sturgeon

Sturgeon in the Delaware River

Photos: Delaware State University

An episode of the podcast State of Change from Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey focuses on the sturgeon population that existed in the Delaware River in the 1890s and today.

It was their eggs (roe) and a booming market for it as caviar in the 19th century that grew an industry on the river. Though the industry and the sturgeon population collapsed, there are approximately 300 breeding adult Atlantic sturgeon that return to the area today.

Like our horseshoe crabs, sturgeon are "living fossils" that have survived from the days of the dinosaurs through threats to their existence and into the 21st century.

In 2022, New Jersey’s list of endangered and threatened species added the Atlantic sturgeon. It is the second fish, along with the shortnose sturgeon, on that list. 

Listen to the State of Change podcast episode 

The Atlantic sturgeon has existed for hundreds of millions of years but there is a question about whether it will survive in the coming decades. Overharvesting, habitat loss, pollution, and climate change are all working against it. Will this ancient fish survive in the era of humans?

More on sturgeon in NJ from this blog

Two Warnings: NJ Waterways and a Noxious Plant

The Department of Environmental Protection, in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Health, has updated recreational fish advisories for tributaries, lakes and ponds in the lower Delaware River watershed as part of the state’s ongoing fish-safety monitoring program.

The DEP has also expanded testing of fish in selected water bodies in this and other regions of the state to include several chemicals of emerging concern known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. These analyses have resulted in the DEP’s first consumption advisories for these chemicals.

The DEP tested 11 fish species in 14 water bodies in Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean and Salem counties for PCBs, mercury and pesticides. The testing resulted in less restrictive advisories for 36 species than had been in place, while 24 saw no change. Ten advisories are now more restrictive.

Data also was collected for species not tested in previous years as well as at one new sample location. The new data resulted in 30 new consumption advisories for the lower Delaware River watershed region.

Due to growing concerns over the presence of PFAS in the environment, the DEP also sampled water, sediment and fish tissue samples from a limited number of water bodies in the lower Delaware River watershed and other regions of the state.

Water bodies were selected based on their proximity to potential sources of PFAS and their likelihood of being used for recreational and fishing purposes. PFAS were detected at varying levels and combinations in all of the water bodies tested.

PFAS – which include compounds more commonly known as PFOA, PFOS and PFNA – were once widely used in a variety of applications, including non-stick cookware, stain-resistant clothing and fabrics, food packaging, and in firefighting foams. These chemicals are persistent in the environment and can accumulate in people exposed to them.

Water bodies tested included the Passaic River in Passaic County, the Raritan River in Bergen and Passaic counties, the Metedeconk River in Ocean County, several lakes adjacent to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington and Ocean counties, the North Branch of Rancocas Creek in Burlington County, Woodbury Creek in Gloucester County, Fenwick Creek in Salem County and the Cohansey River in Cumberland County.

All states have fish consumption advisories. Many of the fish on New Jersey’s advisory lists are typically caught and released without being consumed, but some people rely on some of the species on the advisory lists as a food source.

“Fishing provides enjoyable and relaxing recreation, and we know many people enjoy cooking and eating their own catch,” New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Shereef Elnahal said. “However, certain fish may contain contaminants and pose serious health risks like cancer and nervous system issues. It is a good idea to follow these advisories when consuming recreationally caught fish and crabs, particularly if you eat them often.”

The DEP and Department of Health advise all anglers to get the latest advisories for the specific water body they fish by visiting www.fishsmarteatsmartnj.org

As part of the lower Delaware River watershed update, fish were sampled from the following bodies of water: Big Timber Creek, along the border of Camden and Gloucester counties; Cooper River Lake, Kirkwood Lake, Newton Lake and Pennsauken Creek in Camden County; Mantua Creek, Stewart Lake and Wilson Lake in Gloucester County; DOD Ponds in Salem County; Rancocas Creek and Strawbridge Lake in Burlington County; the Maurice River and Union Lake in Cumberland County; and Prospertown Lake in Ocean County.

The DEP tested fish tissue for mercury, organochlorinated pesticides and PCBs, with the fish species that were sampled varying depending on location. Fish species sampled were largemouth bass, bluegill sunfish, common carp, white perch, channel catfish, pumpkinseed, striped bass, chain pickerel, yellow bullhead, brown bullhead and white catfish.

As is typical, the latest sampling found the highest mercury concentrations in species at the top of the food chain, such as chain pickerel and largemouth bass, while the highest PCB concentrations were found in bottom feeders, such as channel catfish and common carp. PCBs were generally detected at relatively low levels. Pesticides were found at only very low levels.

While water quality in New Jersey continues to improve, past pollution can persist for many years in sediments and continue to accumulate in fish at or near the top of the aquatic food chain.

Fish are an excellent source of protein, minerals and vitamins, and help maintain a healthy, well-balanced diet. The American Heart Association recommends that people eat fish regularly. Fish are also one of the few foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids needed for proper development of the brain and nervous system in the fetus and infants, and may reduce the risk of heart attack.

But due to past use of PCBs and pesticides as well as deposition of mercury from various sources, some recreationally caught fish can be unhealthy for children or some adults with certain health concerns.

The DEP and Department of Health have been issuing fish consumption advisories since 1983, updating them on a regular basis. Advisories include statewide, regional and water body specific advice as well as a general advisory for freshwater fish. These advisories allow the public to make informed choices about the fish they catch and eat.

The state’s ongoing public outreach activities include responding to online and telephone inquiries from the public, as well as distribution of outreach materials to all New Jersey Women, Infants and Children centers in English and Spanish. Information is also sent to recreational anglers, local and county health departments, and other stakeholders.

For much of the population, advisories can range from no restrictions to a recommendation to limit consumption to one meal per week. For the high-risk population – which includes pregnant women, women planning to become pregnant, nursing mothers, infants and children – advisories can range from no more than one meal per week to do not eat.

If you choose to eat those species under advisories, there are steps you can take to reduce your exposure.

Proper cleaning and cooking techniques, which remove some of the fat from the fish, can significantly reduce levels of PCBs and organic chemicals. However, these techniques will not reduce or remove unsafe levels of mercury from fish.

For all freshwater fish and waters not covered by consumption advisories, consumers should follow the DEP's general freshwater advisories, which recommend eating no more than one meal per week for the general population and no more than one meal a month for high-risk individuals.

For the DEP’s PFAS study report, visit www.nj.gov/dep/dsr/


From a brochure from the NJ Department of Agriculture on the highly toxic plant known as hogweed, which has been recently documented in our state.

Please be wary of this harmful plant while outdoors, as the sap can cause severe burns when present on the skin and exposed to sunlight. It can also cause blindness should sap get into the eyes.

Unfortunately, there are several plant species that look very similar to hogweed, with cow parsnip being the closest to mimic it. Therefore it is very important to become familiar with the appearance of hogweed. In addition, should you see this plant growing anywhere, please contact Chief Mark Meyer of the NJ Dept. of Agriculture's Bureau of Biological Pest Control at 609-203-9478.

The Shad Are Migrating Up the Delaware River

American Shad - Photo:by Duane Raver, USFWS

Another sign from nature that spring is here is the annual American shad migration up the Delaware River to spawn.

The timing and the number of shad migrating does vary year to year depending on water temperature and conditions. Anglers need accurate, up-to-date information on the "shad run" and there are several NJ resources for that.

• Lewis Fishery Reports done by Steve Meserve of the Fishery in Lambertville offers an email update. Sign up at LewisFishery@comcast.net to be added to his list.
• The Delaware River Shad Fishermen's Association offers updates at 610-954-0577 or 610-954-0578 for the latest updates.
• Woo's Shad Fishing Reports reports shad activity.

Endangered Sturgeon and the Delaware River

Atlantic sturgeon at the Northeast Fishery Center are part of a project to raise sturgeon from egg through sexual maturity. If successful, the Fishery Centers work will provide a roadmap to the development  of domestic broodstock and help in efforts to restore Atlantic sturgeon to their native range. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region

Sturgeon is not a fish many people know about because you don't often see the fish in stores or on menus. But a century ago an estimated 180,000 female Atlantic sturgeon lived in the Delaware River. Those females produced enough eggs, sold as caviar, to make the Delaware River and Bay area the caviar capital of America.

The fish is also smoked and eaten worldwide, though not as popular as it was in the late 1800s and early 20th century.

In 1890, an estimated 6 million pounds of the 7 million pounds of sturgeon caught on the East Coast came from Delaware Bay.

Sturgeon are now endangered there since 2012 when less than 300 spawning sturgeon were believed to be in the Delaware River.

Are they recovering? A piece on NJ.com asks if enough being done or in other words, is a fishing moratorium enough to have them make a comeback, or is further intervention needed?

NOAA Fisheries Service reports led to five population segments of the Atlantic sturgeon being listed as endangered species. The New York Bight population segment found in the Delaware River and the Hudson River is one of the five.

Since caviar and sturgeon as food are not the industry they once were, what threatens the species? Vessel strikes are a big factor along with low water quality in rivers, dredging projects and accidental catching.

In New Jersey, the Division of Fish and Wildlife has placed acoustic receivers in Delaware Bay to track the sturgeon's migration patterns for the endangered population.

American Shad Rebound in the Delaware River

Adult shad in measuring box - DEP Photo

Biological surveys conducted this year suggest American shad are making a strong comeback in the Delaware River, historically famous for a once-prodigious population of this important fish species.

Net surveys conducted during the spring resulted in the ninth largest overall haul of migrating adult shad ever recorded, while summer surveys of juvenile shad that hatched this year were the best in the nearly four decades of monitoring for juvenile shad.

“The strong shad spawning run and record-setting juvenile numbers this summer lead us to be very optimistic about the future of shad, a species that is important to the overall ecological health of the Delaware River,” said Commissioner Martin. “We have worked very closely over the years with our partner state and federal agencies in the river basin as well as numerous nonprofit and community groups to restore this species to the Delaware, the largest free-flowing river in the eastern United States.”

The history of shad runs deep in the Delaware River, with the fish providing food and other essential uses to Native Americans, feeding George Washington’s Continental Army, and supporting a major 19th century commercial fishery that fed the region’s burgeoning population.
But water quality problems that developed in lower, urbanized portions of the river around Philadelphia effectively created a dissolved-oxygen barrier to the age-old spawning runs. Water quality improvements, especially in the 1980s and 1990s resulting from upgrades to wastewater treatment systems, greatly improved dissolved oxygen levels, enabling shad to gain access to the upper river and its tributaries.

The closure of the commercial shad fishery in the ocean by state and federal fisheries managers more than a decade ago in response to all-time lows in shad stocks appears to be another significant contributor to the rebound of shad in the Delaware River.

“Building on our encouraging survey results and ongoing conservation measures, the DEP and the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife will continue to work on local and coastwide management strategies that will further the recovery of shad, with the hope of restoring numbers to historic levels,” said Division Director Larry Herrighty.

The American shad is the largest member of the herring family, weighing from four to eight pounds at maturity. They spend most of their lives in the ocean but return to rivers and their tributaries to spawn. The species’ range stretches from the St. Lawrence River in Canada south to the St. Johns River, which flows from its mouth at Jacksonville south through much of eastern Florida.

Adults are capable of swimming some 2,000 miles from ocean feeding grounds to rivers to spawn. They may travel upwards of 200 miles in these rivers to find suitable spawning habitat, usually in rocky or gravelly shallows. Females can release hundreds of thousands of eggs. Juvenile shad spend several years in the ocean, returning to river systems to spawn when they reach sexual maturity.

The fish once supported massive commercial and recreational fisheries in rivers along the Atlantic coast, especially the Delaware River. But, in addition to water quality problems, dams built to generate power, for mills and for other now-obsolete purposes greatly reduced their ability to access potential spawning habitat in the Delaware’s many tributaries.

The DEP has been working with numerous partners to remove dams along Delaware River tributaries, with efforts focused on the Musconetcong River as it flows through Hunterdon and Warren counties.

Steve Meserve, who runs the Lewis Fishery in Lambertville, Hunterdon County, works with the DEP in reporting spring shad runs at this critical point in the Delaware. Netting surveys he conducted in the spring resulted in hauls totaling 1,262 shad, the ninth best in 92 years of reliable record-keeping results and the best since 1,257 were netted in 1995.

Meserve tracks shad as part of a business that sells the fish to people who wait along the riverbank to buy fish he hauls in. His family has been fishing shad in Lambertville since 1888, and is the last remaining operation to do so following a crash in the shad population in the 1940s and 1950s due to poor water quality in the Philadelphia area.

“It’s a much brighter picture than we’ve seen in years,” said Meserve, noting that in 2011 he was catching an average of just two fish per netting operation compared to 30 this year. “It’s certainly good news and we’d like to see it continue, and we will be out there keeping track of what’s going on.”

The DEP also conducts numerous surveys of juvenile shad at various locations along the upper river beginning in late August. This year’s survey resulted in the highest totals in 38 years of monitoring. These surveys counted 24,536 juvenile shad this summer, compared to 2,664 in 2013, and 8,360 in 2016.

Netting hauls conducted in August at Milford Beach in Hunterdon County, for example, were so strong that the total counts of juvenile fish exceeded hauls at that location for all previous five years combined.

Shad, which are very popular as a feisty sport fish, also play a very important role in the ecosystem of the Delaware River, as well as estuarine and ocean ecosystems. Shad are important prey for larger fish and other predators, such as birds. Many wildlife species synchronize their migrations to coincide with shad runs.

Some shad may return to the same river system to spawn two to three times during their lifetimes. Many will die after spawning. When they die, their decomposing bodies return to river systems important nutrients that are essential to other aquatic life.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife uses money from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sport Fish Restoration program to help fund American shad research and recovery projects. Funds for this program are generated by federal excise taxes on fishing equipment, as well as motorboat and small-engine fuels.

For more information on shad and annual shad survey reports, visit: www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/fish_shad.htm

For a news release on dam removal efforts along the Musconetcong, visit: www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2017/17_0065.htm

The American Shad Spawning Run on the Delaware River

American Shad    -   via Wikimedia

Along with the migration of shorebirds and horseshoe crabs converging on Delaware Bay in spring, another spring migration is that of the American shad up the Delaware River.

American shad, part of the herring family, migrate up the Delaware River to spawn. The numbers and timing of the "shad run" vary year to year depending on river levels, rains, drought and temperature.

Shad are primarily saltwater fish, but they swim up freshwater rivers to spawn in the spring. Unlike some other fish species, many shad survive the spawning and swim back to the Atlantic Ocean. Shad are found in all areas of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as several seas across the world.

The first shad of the 2017 season was already caught in the Delaware on March 26 in the northern Delaware Bay near Mad Horse Creek. It was a female shad that weighed in around 5 pounds.

Shad - Lambertville, NJ  - via Flickr

Low water and warm temperatures usually mean an earlier shad run in the Delaware River. The warm water effluent of the power plant in Trenton usually attracts shad and anglers who get early catches.

On the river, there are some seining (netting) activities which harken back to the Lenni Lenape Indians of our area who used that method long before colonists appeared.

It is another encouraging sign that the once very polluted Delaware River has recovered enough that shad have returned to using the deeper waters of the Delaware River as a spawning ground.

MORE

• The American Shad Spawning Run 
• The Delaware River Shad Fisherman's Association  
• ShadFest April 29-30, 2017 

Shad and the Delaware River

The Delaware River still has plenty of life, according to the results of the 2014 annual Seine Survey.

The list leader is the American shad, but the biologists netted 45,178 fish in 284 hauls over five months. Also present are Blueback herring, White perch, Eastern silvery minnow, Atlantic menhaden, Bay anchovy, Banded killifish, Spottail shiner, Striped bass and Atlantic silverside.

Rivers are often endangered too and the Delaware River 75 years ago was considered "grossly polluted." Improvement began after the passage of the Federal Clean Water Act in 1972 and in the next two decades results could be seen in catches of once non-existent striped bass catches in the river "were at a much higher level than previous years. This showed that the striped bass population was rebounding, and water quality was beginning to improve."

Every year American shad migrate up the Delaware River to spawn. The numbers and timing of the "shad run" vary year to year depending on water temperature and conditions. Having accurate, up-to-date information on the run can greatly impact on angling success and enjoyment. Fortunately, there are resources anglers can use to get this information.

In 2013, American shad fisheries (both commercial and recreational), in both marine and fresh waters, with the exception of the Delaware Bay, Delaware River and its tributaries, were closed (no possession, take or harvest). The recreational possession limit in the Delaware Bay, River and its tributaries was 3 fish with no minimum size and an open season all year. Commercial net regulations for American shad remained the same.

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission management plan was made for American shad and river herring due to concerns about the significant coastwide decline of American shad stocks.

The American Shad (Alosa sapidissima AKA white shad) is the largest of the river herring family.  American shad average around 3 lbs., with fish up to 5 lbs. common. Silver-sided with greenish-blue back; deep bodied from the side, narrow and symmetrical top to bottom head-on; row of dark spots on the sides, running back from the gill cover; the upper and lower jaws are equal length when the mouth is closed.

Lambertville, New Jersey holds a Shad Festival each spring. For 2015, the 34th annual Shad Festival will be April 25 & 26 . It includes arts and crafts, food, including shad prepared a variety of ways - from smoked to shad and shrimp fritters. Of course, visitors also learn about this migratory fish.

Today, only one commercial fishery remains on the non-tidal portion of the Delaware. A pollution block at Philadelphia slowly led to the closure of the fisheries, because it stopped the shad from moving up the Delaware.

One reason the festival was started was to celebrate the return of the shad to the Delaware. Native Americans taught the settlers how to catch the shad in pens, which later evolved to seining. Shad was an important food source to Native Americans and settlers, and an important industry for many decades on the Delaware River.

The NJDEP posts Shad Fishing Reports for 2015 at http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/del_river_rpt15.htm

Mussel Power To Help Clean Polluted Waters

An Eastern elliptio freshwater mussel
Westcott Phillip/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

I am reading about how "Natural Filters," such as mussels, are being used to help clean polluted waters, such as the Delaware River.

Populations that have been decimated or lost are being re-established to help filter out the very pollution generated by agriculture, industry, and development that threatened or endangered the species.

Freshwater mussels are "voracious filter feeders able to cycle gallons of water per hour." By taking in phytoplankton and small particles in streams and freshwater tidal habitats, they eject both clearer water and also a nutrient-rich detritus that actually fertilizes the stream and its sediments.
As with some other species, a healthy population of mussels indicates that water is of good water quality.

Mussels are among the earth’s longest living invertebrates. There are about 900 known species. Freshwater mussels live on every continent but Antarctica. Some species survive 100 years and more. 

Unfortunately, they become endangered because their long lives mean that they face long-term exposures to pollution and are often the first victims of the increases in silt and theexcess nutrients that come with runoff from developed urban and agricultural land.

The Delaware River once had roughly a dozen native freshwater mussel species. While several still survive in isolated populations, the majority of the river’s mussels—and the species Kreeger’s Freshwater Mussel Recovery Program has, since 2007, focused on — is the Eastern elliptio, a dark shelled mussel up to five inches long with a pearly pink interior. While rare in the tidal estuary, elliptio is common in the river above the reach of the tides at Trenton, New Jersey.

William Lellis of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), who surveyed the upper Delaware mussels, estimates there might be as many as two million per river mile. With no dam along the Delaware’s main stem, the American eel, which hosts the mussel’s developing larvae on its gills, can repopulate mussels into beds far upriver, where, as a Wild and Scenic River, the runoff is freer of silt and nutrients than in the highly developed and industrialized estuary. There, the nutrient loads can be very high. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s last National Coastal Condition Report found that the Delaware estuary had more high-nitrogen sites than any other Northeast coastal estuary. Surveys have shown that of 70 Pennsylvania streams, for instance, only four contained any freshwater mussels.

Kreeger realizes it’s critical to find out where and how many mussel beds remain in the estuary, determine where they might still survive if given the chance, and then try to restore those streams to the point where their mussel populations could be rebuilt. (To reach more streams and involve the public in the project, Kreeger has enlisted and trained volunteers to survey mussels in their local streams.) In 2011 and 2012, Kreeger reintroduced mussels into three southeastern Pennsylvania streams and, despite severe flooding, most of the animals survived. The idea, of course, is that, once established, mussels will begin to clean both the water and sediments in their new habitat. Can they do it?

SOURCE: http://e360.yale.edu/digest/natural_filters_mussels_deployed_to_clean_up_polluted_waterways/4400/

The Delaware River Shad Run

Spring marks the return of the shad, a fish in the herring family, to the Delaware River.

Shad festivals, like the one in Lambertville that was held April 27 & 28 this year and another on the NY side of the Hudson River, are held when the shad begin to spawn.

Shad are primarily saltwater fish, but they swim up freshwater rivers to spawn in the springtime. Unlike some other species such as trout, many shad survive to swim back to sea.

Shad are found in all areas of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as several seas across the world.

As the fish travel up the Delaware River, there are some seining (netting) activities which recall the method used by the Lenni Lenape Indians when they were the original inhabitants of the area.

The Delaware River was so polluted for many years that the number of shad that came to spawn each spring had dwindled to an alarmingly low number. That was a clear indicator of an unhealthy environment. The shad have returned to using the deeper waters of the Delaware River as a spawning ground which is happily an indicator of the success of some environmental reforms that were enacted in the past decades in cleaning up the waterway.

Andy Still wrote me to say that "When I was a boy the river ran red from the dye coming out of Cyanamid. Greatest success story in New Jersey" and enclosed the shad photo above.

Jersey Caviar

Sturgeon docks at Caviar/Bayside. Rutgers Collection, ca. 1930.

You probably associate caviar, salted sturgeon eggs, as a delicacy from Russia. It was the "treat of the tsars." But New Jerseyans may be surprised that our state was once famous for its own caviar.

If we go back to the late 1800s, the Delaware Bay and Delaware River were one of the most productive sturgeon fisheries, helping make the United States the world's top caviar exporter.

At the mouth of the Stow Creek in Cumberland County, was a place known as known as Caviar (or Caviar Point) that had a processing plant and railroad spur for sending the caviar north through the Pine Barrens to New York City. During the fishing season, approximately 400 fishermen lived in the nearby cabins and houseboats, with access only to a store, post office, and train station.

Atlantic sturgeon, a bony, prehistoric-looking fish, were placed on the federal endangered species list and NJDEP monitors migration patterns in our waters. But back in 1895, they were shipping 15 train cars of caviar and smoked sturgeon every day out of NJ.

Despite Atlantic sturgeon being plentiful, between the females that were slaughtered to extract the eggs, increasing demand on a slow-maturing species and overfishing, the fishery and the caviar business crashed in the early 1900s. A sturgeon can live until it is over 60 years old and they breed anywhere from once a year to once every 5 years.

The town of Caviar became known as Bayside and caviar disappeared from New Jersey's industries.

But Atlantic sturgeon were not eliminated from the Delaware. Although the estimated 300 to 500 adult females that spawn there is a very "endangered" population when compared to the estimated 180,000 breeding sturgeon believed to be in the bay prior to 1890.

The Fight Against Invasive Species

The IUCN recently posted an article about "invasive aliens."  No, these are not the type found in summer movies like Super 8. These are the species - animal and plant - that invade habitats where they do not belong.

Biodiversity is being lost at an unprecedented rate, with a whole host of factors contributing to the disastrous declines. Habitat destruction is well-documented as being one of the leading causes of species extinctions, but invasive alien species are also to blame. But what exactly is an invasive species? Invasive species are those organisms which have been introduced by man, either accidentally or on purpose, to areas in which they are not naturally found, and have thrived to the extent that they have taken over their new environment.

It is important, however, to make the distinction between these species and ‘non-native’ species. Plenty of species are introduced to areas outside of their natural range, and are hence non-native, but not all of these will become invasive. Many will not be able to adapt to the new environment at all, and may eventually die off. Other non-native species cope well in their new surroundings without ousting native species from the ecosystem, co-existing without competition. An ecosystem can support this change as its original components and key players are still there. The non-native species may itself prove beneficial to human wellbeing and in some cases may become part of the landscape, as in the case of the Mediterranean Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) in Tuscany or the Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) in many areas of North America and Europe. What causes a species to be labelled as invasive rather than simply non-native is its ability to out-compete native species, impacting on the biological diversity of the region and even on the livelihoods of human communities.

Stink Bug  via http://media.nj.com/hunterdonnews_impact/

Invasive species in New Jersey include foreign bugs, plants, animals and aquatic creatures. Invasive species are introduced species that can thrive in areas beyond their natural range. They are characteristically very adaptable, aggressive, and have a high reproductive capacity. Their vigor combined with a lack of natural enemies often leads to outbreak populations that threaten and endanger native species.

For example, the East Asian stink bug is in NJ now and does literally stink.

The European green crab and the Asian Shore Crab threaten our native acquatic populations.

Flathead Catfish caught in the Delaware River near Lambertville
blogs.courierpostonline.com

The Flathead Catfish which is normally found in the Mississippi basin, has been found in NJ in places like the Delaware and Raritan Canal.

Giant Hogweed flower head

The Giant Hogweed sounds like something from science-fiction. This species that can grow up to 20 feet and it produces sap that cause blisters and severe burns that leave scars on humans.

Last fall, the first North American instance of invasive Chinese pond mussel was confirmed by New Jersey state biologists in Hunterdon County after DNA testing.

The USDA's website offers state lists and news. For NJ information, see invasivespeciesinfo.gov/unitedstates/nj.shtml

Further Reading

• Unnatural Landscapes: Tracking Invasive Species
• What Can We Do About Invasive Species?
• Invasive Species in a Changing World
• Invasive Plant Species of the World
• SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group
• Invasive Species Initiative

Liberty Water Gap Trail

The Liberty Water Gap Trail is a work-in-progress in New Jersey. It's a unique trail in that it connects two national landmarks at each end: the Delaware Water Gap at the Delaware River and the Statue of Liberty at the Hudson River - and it passes through a third, the Morristown National Historical Park.

It can be seen as a 130 mile "linear park" that runs the width of New Jersey that gives you a cross-section of forest, rural, suburban, and urban life across our state.

There are six distinct trail segments:

1. Hudson River Waterfront Walkway - Liberty State Park, Jersey City
2. East Coast Greenway - Jersey City to Newark
3. Lenape Trail - Essex County
4. Patriots' Path - Morris County
5. Sussex Branch Trail - Sussex County
6. Paulinskill Valley Trail - Sussex & Warren Counties

The idea for the trail originated with the indefatigable Al Kent back in 1999 who wanted to link trails in the state and create the first walking path across New Jersey.

My own hiking days have greatly diminished and my dream of walking the entire Appalachian Trail are pretty much gone - but I think this trail is still a possibility.

A reporter, Brian Kladko, did it in 2002 and wrote about it in The Record. I saved the series of articles and I have penciled the trail in on the retirement list.

Trail Marker

http://www.libertygap.org

Passaic River Restoration

Cleaning the riverside of the Passaic River at Lyndhurst. Photo via http://www.pvsc.com

In order to protect and preserve local streams and rivers from water pollution, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners (PVSC) operate one of the country's largest treatment plants for the wastewaters of northern New Jersey.

In 1998, they created the Passaic River/Newark Bay Restoration Program to promote the recreational and economic uses of Newark Bay, the Passaic River and its tributaries. The Program is comprised of three elements: shoreline clean-ups, floatables removal, and "in-house" clean-ups.

The shoreline clean-up element has been among the most successful programs of its kind in the nation. Beginning in 1998, PVSC began assisting volunteer groups in conducting shoreline clean-ups to remove litter and other debris from along waterways within its service area.

In 2000, PVSC created a department of 15 full-time personnel to conduct larger shoreline clean-ups in addition to those organized by volunteer groups and community agencies. To date, PVSC's Restoration Program has conducted or assisted volunteers in more than 250 shoreline clean-ups that have removed over 1,000 tons of litter and debris from area shorelines.

In 1999, PVSC added floatables removal to the Program, after using state grant monies to purchase an innovative 50-foot surface skimmer vessel. Christened the S.V. Newark Bay, this vessel embarks on daily patrols on the Newark Bay and Passaic River, removing floating debris and litter. In 2001, PVSC added a second, smaller skimmer vessel to its clean-up arsenal, this one to conduct daily patrols in shallow water that had been inaccessible to the larger vessels.

Finally, PVSC conducts "in-house" riverbank clean-ups using the services of its employees. These projects are in response to requests for assistance from local municipal leaders. The crew is deployed to clean and restore specific problem areas within the PVSC service area. The success of the program can be demonstrated in its numbers. Since 1998, PVSC has removed 650 tons of floating matter and over 2,000 tons of shoreline debris.


Want to organize a shoreline clean-up? Contact Bob DeVita, River Restoration Program Manager, at (973) 466-2714.

for more information   http://www.pvsc.com/rr/

Upper Delaware in the number one spot in America’s Most Endangered Rivers: 2010

It's a number one rating that no one wants to get. American Rivers released its annual report, America’s Most Endangered Rivers™ of 2010. The 25th anniversary edition of the report spotlights ten rivers facing the most urgent threats, and also features key endangered river success stories from the past two decades.

The Upper Delaware River, the drinking water source for 17 million people across New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania is at risk from shale fracking for natural gas, a process that poisons groundwater and creates toxic pollution. This threat landed the Upper Delaware in the number one spot in America’s Most Endangered Rivers: 2010 edition.

“Unless we stop the threat of rampant shale fracking, the drinking water for 17 million people across the Northeast will be threatened by toxic pollution,” said Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers. “We can’t let natural gas companies fatten their profits by putting our precious clean water at risk.”

“The threats facing this year’s rivers are more pressing than ever, from gas drilling that could pollute the drinking water of millions of people, to the construction of costly and unnecessary new dams, to outdated flood management that threatens public safety,” said Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers.

In a statement, the Delaware River Basin Commission took a cautious view of the finding, saying:

"Being named to a “most endangered list” can lead uninformed people to draw incorrect conclusions that the quality of the Upper Delaware River is deteriorating...

Being named to a 'most endangered list' can lead uninformed people to draw incorrect conclusions that the quality of the Upper Delaware River is deteriorating. This is far from the truth and the five members of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) – Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and the federal government – intend on keeping it that way. The DRBC recognizes the importance of natural gas development to the region and the nation, and is not opposed to the appropriate development of this natural resource. But we must make sure that any natural gas development is done smartly so we do not harm the incredible water resources of the Delaware River Basin (DRB) and the over 15 million people it serves.”

Shad Running in the Delaware River

'Best fishing in years' for Shad on Big D

via http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010100501043

Trout, bass, walleyes, stripers and blues are biting, so we went shad fishing.

Fishing for the plentiful fish was hot until Sports Editor Frank DiLeo and I went looking for them Thursday after the Delaware River water temp cooled below the magic shad turn-on number of 50 degrees Wednesday night.

Shad bite best upriver during April's last week and all of May.

Steve Meserve, whose crew has been steadily netting shad at Lambertville, said Thursday morning they were still getting about two bucks to each roe, so he expects more good fishing ahead. Roe follow bucks upstream to spawn.

Canoe Lessons on the Passaic River

If you missed the Passaic River Paddle Relay yesterday, here's a chance to get ready for next year - or just have some fun.

You can take a canoeing lesson at the Essex County Environmental Center next Saturday, May 15 at 9:30 a.m.

The class in paddling safety and techniques is for beginners and children (ages 10 and up accompanied by a parent or guardian).

The cost is $15 per person or $30 per canoe. You need to register in advance - call 973-228-8776.

Delaware River Shad Festival in Lambertville

The ShadFest in Lambertville, New Jersey, is an annual celebration of the return of the shad, a fish in the herring family, to the Delaware River. For 2010, it occurs this weekend, April 24 & 25.

The Delaware River was so polluted for many years that the number of shad that came to spawn each spring had dwindled to an alarmingly low number.

That indicator of an unhealthy environment, started environmentalists to rally for a cleanup of the waterway.

Shad Festivals (there is also one on the Hudson River in NY) usually are held when the shad begin to spawn. Shad are primarily saltwater fish, but they swim up freshwater rivers to spawn in the springtime. Unlike trout, which have a very similar reproduction ritual, many shad survive to swim back to sea. Various types of shad are found in all areas of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as several seas across the world. The shad have returned to using the deeper waters of the Delaware River as a spawning ground - an indicator of the success of some  environmental reforms that were enacted. 

As the fish travel up the Delaware River, there are shad-hauling demonstrations, called seining, which catch the fish in nets in a method used by the Lenni Lenape Indians, the original inhabitants of the area during colonial times.

In addition to seining demonstrations and shad cooking demonstrations, the Shad Festival also offers a variety of vendors, music, art shows and more, including a poster auction to benefit a scholarship program for local high school seniors.

Food abounds, but the main attraction is the shad. Ultimately, the Shad Festival is a celebration of both the return of this unique fish and the return of tourism and economy to the riverside town.

The first Shad Festival was held in 1981 to mark a kind of ecological milestone in the river's comeback.

Thousands of tourists, anglers, shoppers and environmentalists now attend the two-day event.

For more information  http://www.lambertville.org

A call for stricter rules on gas drilling around Delaware River

Three environmental groups have released a report to urge the Delaware River Basin Commission to be tougher on natural gas drilling in and around the river, according to a report by LehighValleyLive.com.

Environment New Jersey, Delaware Riverkeeper Network and the Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter said at a late December news conference that the chemicals used to extract natural gas can lead to chemical leaks into drinking water and underground aquifers.

There are about 20,000 acres of leased land for drilling, with seven pending applications for the river's watershed, according to their report.

via http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/

Invasive Flathead Catfish Found in NJ

Flathead Catfish
Pylodictus olivaris
Photo: Eric Engbretson, DOI, Fish and Wildlife Service, Invasive.org

The NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife has verified a 5.5 pound, 20-inch Flathead Catfish was caught in the Delaware River at the Fireman’s Hole, Lambertville, on June 10, 2009. This is the third confirmed catch in New Jersey.

The first of these three Delaware River Flathead catfish was caught in 1999. It is believed that the fish originated from a reproducing population in the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania.

Flathead catfish are native to a broad area west of the Appalachian Mountains encompassing the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio River basins. They are an extremely predaceous catfish, reproducing and dispersing rapidly in river systems. Flathead catfish have been documented to eat substantial numbers of American shad during their spawning run. In the southeastern United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed it as its highest priority among invasive animal species.

Flatheads can grow to a large size, and in warmer climates 90 to 100 pound fish have been documented. The body is yellowish brown to dark brown with black or brown mottling on lighter brown sides. It has a broadly flattened head and a tail that is only slightly indented, appearing more rounded or square. The key characteristic that helps anglers distinguish the flathead catfish from other catfish is that the lower jaw of the Flathead catfish projects past the upper jaw.

Anglers that catch what they think is a Flathead catfish are asked not to release it back into the water. A photograph of the fish is requested to confirm identification.

Notify the Division's Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries at:

Lebanon Field Office
1255 County Route 629
Lebanon, NJ 08833
908-236-2118 E-mail: mark.boriek@earthlink.net

• invasivespeciesinfo.gov