Columbia Dam Removal Project Completed

 

Dam site -Winter 2019

The Columbia dam removal project which began in 2018 is complete and the project area is again open for recreation following improvements to the area. 10 miles of river were reconnected, two dams and a powerhouse removed, and 1.5 miles of stream habitat were restored as part of the project.

The Columbia Dam was an 18-foot high, 300-foot long barrier that has for more than a century degraded water quality and blocked fish passage in the Paulins Kill, the third-largest New Jersey tributary to the Delaware River. 

NJDEP Fish and Wildlife partnered with The Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife Service, NRCS, American Rivers, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, NJ Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, and Toms of Maine. NJDEP’s Office of Natural Resource Restoration funded a significant portion of the project.

We have previously reported on other topics related to dam removals and habitat, including that shad were found in the Paulins Kill.

Read an article on the project from The Nature Conservancy

Shad Found in Paulins Kill Upstream of Former Dam Site

NJ Division of Environmental Protection biologists have officially documented American Shad in the Paulins Kill upstream of the former Columbia Lake dam site.

The dam was removed this past winter to restore this historic spawning pathway, as it had been blocking migration in New Jersey's third-largest tributary to the Delaware River for more than 110 years.

While photos from anglers have confirmed the presence of American Shad in the Paulins Kill earlier this spring, Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries biologists have now officially documented this species in the Paulins Kill upstream of the dam site. Shad, as with others, such as salmon, are anadromous, meaning that they migrate up rivers from the sea to spawn.

The dam, owned by the Division of Fish and Wildlife since the 1950s, was 18-feet high making it the largest removal to date in New Jersey. The removal was accomplished through a diverse partnership of state and federal governments, and non-governmental organizations with a majority of funding for the removal provided by DEP's Office of Natural Resource Restoration with monies from natural resource damages. The Nature Conservancy of New Jersey (TNCNJ) provided project management and oversight over the multi-year project in coordination with American Rivers.

Fisheries Biologist Ross Shramko holds one of the American Shad captured and released while electrofishing the Paulins Kill River in Blairstown. in June 2019.

The Nature Conservancy of NJ also provided significant funding through private donations, and grants from:
US Fish and Wildlife Service
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership
Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund
Leavens Foundation and
Tom's of Maine.

The USFWS has provided support throughout various phases of the project including the design of critical fish passage structures through the I-80 bridge which traverses the Columbia Wildlife Management Area.

The project is ongoing, with stabilization of key areas along the newly formed stream channel underway, and removal of the powerhouse to begin in upcoming months. The Division's fisheries staff will continue to monitor the recovery of American Shad in the river and will conduct additional sampling this fall to confirm if they have successfully spawned in the river.

Anglers are reminded while American Shad may be targeted in the Delaware River mainstem, they cannot be targeted in other freshwaters of the state. Anglers who see or accidentally catch an American Shad while fishing for other species are encouraged to report their sightings to the Division at NJFWfish@dep.nj.gov or 908-236-2118. Please include the date of sighting, location, any photos, and your contact info.

SOURCES
www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/news/
www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/columbiadam_project.htm