Project Summary

1. Project ID
Name	Cooper River Fishway Restoration Project
Region	Mid Atlantic Region
State	New Jersey
Location	Cooper River, Haddonfield, Camden County
Date of this update	May 18, 1998

Habitat Restoration/Protection
Wetlands
River systems
Beaches/Dunes
Offshore areas
Mangroves
Assisting Species at Risk
Pollution Mitigation
Non-Point Source Pollution
Other (describe)

3. Project description (100 words or less)

The main goal of the Cooper River Fishway Restoration Project is to restore access to spawning and rearing habitat for migratory fish on the Cooper River, a tributary of the Delaware River, in Camden County, New Jersey. The Cooper River Fishway Restoration Project is the result of a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Fisheries Across America grant. The Fisheries Across America program is an initiative by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to restore habitat for native fish species on public and private lands.

4. Goals/Benefits (quantify where possible using measures of success list) Was a cost-benefit study conducted for this project? yes/no If yes, provide a summary of findings.

The Cooper River is located within the central portion of the Delaware River Basin, an internationally recognized riverine system important for commercial and recreational fishing, anadromous and catadromous fish populations, migratory birds, horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus), and other marine wildlife. Anthropogenic development since Colonial times has eliminated migratory access to former spawning and rearing habitat in Delaware River tributaries. Improving fish access into these tributaries will benefit the entire marine ecology and economy of the Delaware River basin.

Migratory fish that would benefit from the Cooper River Fishway Restoration Project include: alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), and American eel (Anguilla rostrata). Specifically, the goal of the project is to install permanent fishways on the Cooper River to allow migratory fish to proceed unimpeded around two residential spillways (dams) to historic spawning and foraging areas upstream. The installation of the fishways at Wallworth Lake and Evans Pond would provide migratory fish access to approximately four miles of river. Recently, PSE&G installed a fish ladder at a downstream impediment (tidal gate); hence, the two projects combined will restore approximately eight miles of river to migratory fish passage.

There was no cost-benefit study conducted for this project.

5. Partners (include each participant's responsibilities - funding, permitting, etc.)

	  Federal 		Lead:	Service's New Jersey Field Office (NJFO)

					Responsibilities:  coordination, permitting, hiring 					               contractors, establishing partnerships, and
					administering grant funds.
				
				Others:	Delaware River Coordinator (DRC) 
					Service's Fishery Resources Office

					Responsibilities:  technical assistance.

					National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)

					Responsibilities:  administration of Fisheries Across 						America grant.	

	
	  Non Federal	New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (Bureau of 				                     Freshwater Fisheries (BFF)/Bureau of Marine Fisheries (BMF))
				Responsibilities:  donated fish ladders, technical assistance, and 				          assistance with permit acquisition.

				Camden County Parks Department (CCPD)
				Responsibilities:  owner of the two spillways, access to sites, 				          equipment, and labor.

				Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G)
				Responsibilities:  cost sharing and technical assistance.

				Delaware Riverkeeper Network (Riverkeeper)
				Responsibilities:  establishing partnerships and local support.

6. Funding/Contributions (organization and amount)

	  Cash		Federal

				NFWF	$  8,500
				NJFO	$12,000

				Total:	$20,500


	  In-Kind Services 
	   (hours, equipment, or other forms of assistance and estimated dollar value)


		NJDEP-BMF	 							$15,000
			(fish ladders and technical assistance) 

		PSE&G 			  					$9,000
			(partial cost of engineering designs and 
			technical assistance)

		CCPD				  				$5,000
			(maintenance of installed fish ladders)  			
	

7. Legislative authorities used by each participant

• Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956
• Anadromous Fish Conservation Act of 1985
• Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1934

8. Value added by Coastal America Partnership including Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals achieved through this collaboration (500 words or less)

The Cooper River Fishway Restoration Project is in accordance with Strategic Goal 2.4 from the Government Performance and Results Act: Strategic Plan (September 30, 1997 - September 3, 2002) which states the Service's goal to protect, restore, and enhance water and riverine habitats. Strategic Goal 2.4 also states that the Service's actions will focus on restoring streams and rivers for fish migration.

9. Project Status

• Initiation date May 1997
• Proposed Completion date: November 1998
• Current stage (Initiated - I, Underway - U or Completed - C)
• • Permit acquisition - C
  • Engineering drawings and designs - C
  • Fund Raising - U
  • Partnership Establishment - U

10.Contacts

11. Any additional information/comments

The Cooper River Fishway Restoration Project is currently in the implementation stage. Engineering designs and technical specifications for the project have been completed. All required New Jersey State permits have been acquired. If necessary funding can be obtained, fishway construction is tentatively scheduled for the fall of 1998.

Project Estimated Budget:

The current cost estimate from the contractor to install the two fish ladders is $103,500 and the project currently has $20,500; therefore, we request $83,000 to implement the Cooper River Fishway Restoration Project. Furthermore, the Cooper River Lake, just downstream of the proposed fish ladder sites, was recently stocked by the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife with adult blueback herring to facilitate the reestablishment of a herring population and the usage of the installed fish ladders.