Push-net survey for young-of-the-year American shad, American eel elver trapping in Rock Creek, and production of yolk-sac fry American shad

The push-net survey was designed to help determine the abundance of young-of-the-year American shad in the District. While our sampling techniques have not been successful at finding adult American shad, we know they are present because of angler reports. This part of this study was designed to help determine the population of young-of-year (YOY) American shad present in the District. The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, in conjunction with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, stocked larval American shad into the Potomac just below Great Falls over the years 1995 through 2002. While the yearly goal in the stocking was one million larval fish, there were almost 16 million larvae stocked over this period. This stocking has been successful with documented adult returns to the Great Falls area. The US Fish and Wildlife Service also documented increasing numbers of YOY in the Potomac in the District and just downstream of Woodrow Wilson Bridge through their push-net survey. Since 2002 was the final year of the USFWS push-net survey, our survey was designed to document any changes in the population now that the stocking near Great Falls has ended. The second survey was designed to document the existence and abundance of young eels in Rock Creek, a tributary to the Potomac. To date, no targeted studies have looked at eel abundance anywhere in the District, and since we regularly see eel elvers in our electrofishing surveys we are now trying to document their actual abundance. The third element to this project is the production of yolk-sac fry American shad for stocking in the District. While occasional adult American shad are collected during our regular sampling surveys in the District, populations are still far below their historic levels. To supplement the existing population we are going to use capture and artificially spawn wild fish and use the fry produced to stock into District waters. Project: 3-ACA-154 Final Report Grant no. NA03NMF4740315