Report – Thousands of invasive fish have been removed from the Chesapeake Bay watershed at the Conowingo Dam, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources said in a new report.
The removal, which the agency said occurred earlier this year, resulted in the fish being donated to local food banks through a continuing partnership between the DNR, Conowingo Dam owner Constellation Energy, environmental consulting firm Normandeau Associates Inc., and local seafood wholesaler J.J. McDonnell and Co. Inc.
The fish lift at Conowingo Dam is essentially a water-filled elevator that collects migrating anadromous fish species, such as American shad, during their spawning run and transports them above the dam into the upper Susquehanna River and their traditional spawning areas. When invasive fish enter the lift, technicians remove them by hand and send them out for beneficial use.
During the 2024 season, which ran from March to June, more than 18,000 pounds of invasive fish were removed from Maryland waters. Species prevented from passing upstream of the dam include 2,106 Chesapeake Channa, also known as northern snakehead; 746 flathead catfish; and 36 blue catfish. The number of Chesapeake Channa removed at the dam was more than double the amount removed in any year since the program began in 2021.
To put the harvested fish to good use, J.J. McDonnell processed most for consumption, including a portion they distributed to local food banks in Cecil County. DNR kept some fish for outreach events and scientific research to inform management toward minimizing the impact of these invasive species.