Fish ladder in the Oswego river.

[rolmops]

Last I visited Oswego I saw Lines of fishermen in the river and a very large and forbidding dam a bit higher up in the river effectively blocking access for fish to go farther upstream. It left me curious as to whether there is a fish ladder or a fish lifting wheel by the dam and if there is not, what would be the reason for there not being one. I just day dreamed about browns, steelhead, atlantics, cohos and kings running up that river all the way up to the Seneca river and into Oneida and Cayuga lake. That would open up a huge exiting sports fishing area and an immense influx of fishing related tourism which would translate into an environmentally sound and exiting economic boost with people coming from all over to chase all different species in a beautiful area.

Given the amount of money dedicated to the maintenance of the locks to service river transport of maybe one or 2 commercial concrete or grain barges and the rest pleasure craft there should be plenty of money to build a few fishladders and/or fish lifting wheels.

Does anybody know?

 

Edited December 27, 2022 by rolmops

[LazyRiver585]

I was told that they do NOT want them spreading to the finger lakes.

[schreckstoff]

IMO From a fish habitat perspective those 6 dams on the Oswego  River have some of the , if not the largest negative impact on LO fish populations AND local resource based economies. The canal creates completely nonnative impounded aquatic habitat in place of what would be 25+ miles of high gradient warm-cool water river habitat that would produce or support walleye, SMBs, sturgeon, American Eel, and likely many of other native fishes, in addition to the lake-run fisheries for salmonids. The Dams Also limit what I surmise would be impressive  rafting - kayaking opportunities. The Dams limit the natural recruitment and pulse of wood into the lake which I suspect doesn’t help the ever dwindling native lake population of Slimy Sculpin which use wood to spawn (adhesive eggs).

 

In the place of these resources there is some modest electricity produced , that from my understanding does not lower local energy costs , And of course the ever important a handful of boats get to traverse to Lake Ontario from the canal. Would live to see the math on what that contributes locally.
 

From a decision making standpoint it seems very odd to me why those dams are still in operation. If I owned land in that area I’d be asking my representatives daily why support habitat destruction and impede resource based economies. Maybe this will be windmill I tilt at in my retirement. 
 

soap box over, happy to hear and consider alternative viewpoints 

 

 

 

[rolmops]

On 12/29/2022 at 7:37 AM, LazyRiver585 said:

I was told that they do NOT want them spreading to the finger lakes.

I hope that you are wrong for this may be the reason why Atlantic salmon does poorly in Lake Ontario 

[GAMBLER]

9 hours ago, schreckstoff said:

IMO From a fish habitat perspective those 6 dams on the Oswego  River have some of the , if not the largest negative impact on LO fish populations AND local resource based economies. The canal creates completely nonnative impounded aquatic habitat in place of what would be 25+ miles of high gradient warm-cool water river habitat that would produce or support walleye, SMBs, sturgeon, American Eel, and likely many of other native fishes, in addition to the lake-run fisheries for salmonids. The Dams Also limit what I surmise would be impressive  rafting - kayaking opportunities. The Dams limit the natural recruitment and pulse of wood into the lake which I suspect doesn’t help the ever dwindling native lake population of Slimy Sculpin which use wood to spawn (adhesive eggs).

 

In the place of these resources there is some modest electricity produced , that from my understanding does not lower local energy costs , And of course the ever important a handful of boats get to traverse to Lake Ontario from the canal. Would live to see the math on what that contributes locally.
 

From a decision making standpoint it seems very odd to me why those dams are still in operation. If I owned land in that area I’d be asking my representatives daily why support habitat destruction and impede resource based economies. Maybe this will be windmill I tilt at in my retirement. 
 

soap box over, happy to hear and consider alternative viewpoints 

 

 

 

Has a study ever been done on the affects of the Ice boom on the Niagara? I would think it would slow the warming of Lake Ontario’s west end by holding g back the ice.