Lead by Dr. Olaf Jensen of Rutgers University and funded by the NJDEP Office of Natural Resource Restoration, a migratory fish passage study is being conducted at the Island Farm Weir (located at Raritan River Mile 22.0 near Bound Brook) to assess the passage efficiency of the vertical slot fish ladder at the weir. This video demonstrates how migratory fish such as blueback herring are tagged with Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT), as demonstrated in the video by Orion Weldon, Ph.D. candidate in the Ecology and Evolution Graduate Program at Rutgers University. The fish passage study is being conducted at a critical time given that several dam removals both upstream and downstream of the weir (which were completed between 2011 and 2013) have eliminated significant obstructions to fish passage, thus potentially increasing the number of fish migrating upriver. The results of the study will inform future decisions on dam removals, nature-like fishways (i.e., rock ramps), and other remedies to enhance and increase the number of American shad, blueback herring, alewife and other critical fish species in the Raritan River and its tributaries.
The video was filmed and edited by John W. Jengo, Project Manager of Calco Dam, Robert Street Dam, and Nevius Street Dam removals, as part of a continued effort to document Raritan River fish population and riverine habitat restoration efforts.
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRdqGpGhkwM