Table 1. Pre-causeway fish species list.
The Petitcodiac River Causeway, constructed in 1968 as a transportation link between Moncton and Riverview, New Brunswick, forms aphysical barrier to fish migrating between marinc and freshwater portions of the river system. Over half tlie fish species formerly recorded from tlie freshwater portion...
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| Language: | English |
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| Online Access: | http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.568.1347 http://docs.informatics.management.dal.ca/gsdl/collect/bofep1/pdf/WD/BOFEP4-2000-205.pdf |
| Summary: | The Petitcodiac River Causeway, constructed in 1968 as a transportation link between Moncton and Riverview, New Brunswick, forms aphysical barrier to fish migrating between marinc and freshwater portions of the river system. Over half tlie fish species formerly recorded from tlie freshwater portion of the river are diadromous, and most have been adversely affected by the causeway, which blocks the estuary about 24 krn below the fomier head of tide. Prominent species that havc been reduced or eliminated irom the system include Atlantic salmon (partoftlie genetically distinct Inner Bay of Fu~idy stock), sea-nin brook trout, American shad, striped bass and rainbotv smelt. Over the past three decades, operating procedures of the control gates and the configuration of tile vertical-slot fishway have bee11 modified several times in attempts to improve fish passage. Eventually, gate operating procedures ofthe 1980s and 1990s will be statistically analysed using the gale operator's logbook data in order to evaluate the historical fish passage opportunities of all diadromous species recorded from the system. I-fere, I review some rclevalit history. What species require passage? Diadronious species require migration between freshwater rivers such as tliose in tile Petitcodiac system atximarine witers such as the Bay ofFundy to coinplete their life cycles. 111 order to enter or leave the fresh waters of the Petitcodiac, diadromous species must transit the area where the causeway is now located. Diadro~nous taxa clearly dominated the ecology and fisheries of tlie Petitcodiac, in the days before the causeway (Table 1). |
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