Information collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Susquehanna Basin Commission show nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment concentrations at non-tidal river input sites of the Chesapeake Bay's major rivers, and throughout the non-tidal portion of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, have declined significantly.

From the 1980s to 2003, the information shows that flow-adjusted concentrations of nutrient and sediment pollution are decreasing in some of the non-tidal portions of Chesapeake Bay rivers.

However, not all trends are improving or unchanged: the Potomac River shows an increasing trend in phosphorus and the Pamunkey (a tributary to the York River) shows increasing trends in all three pollutants. The updated indicators can be viewed at the Chesapeake Bay Program website.

Meanwhile, stocking efforts, a Chesapeake Bay moratorium on shad fishing, and fish passage development on the Susquehanna River have helped to increase the number of American shad returning to Conowingo Dam in Pennsylvania from several hundred per year in the early 1980s to an average of 114,165 per year in 2002-2004.

Between 1986 and 2004, a total of 407 million American shad fry and fingerlings were cultured and released in direct support of restoration programs by Chesapeake Bay region states, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Pamunkey and Mattaponi Tribal governments.

In addition to American shad, in 2004, 9.97 million hickory shad fry and fingerlings were stocked in Maryland and 3.37 million in Pennsylvania.

For more information visit the American shad webpage.

NewsClips: Old Timer’s Fish Story: Susquehanna Shad Runs

Migratory Fish Give Anglers Nonstop Action

9/3/2004