Using hydroacoustics to relate fluctuations in fish abundance to river restoration efforts and environmental conditions in the Penobscot River, Maine

Abstract

AbstractQuantifying change after large habitat restoration efforts is critical to assessing the effort's success. After river restoration activities, fish abundance is expected to increase and also fluctuates naturally by season and with environmental conditions. A side‐looking hydroacoustic system was used to estimate fish abundance in the Penobscot River, ME, from 2010 to 2016 during predam (2010–2013) and postdam (2014–2016) removal years during nonice periods. Automated data processing enabled continuous abundance estimates from fish tracks. A threefold increase in mean fish abundance was recorded after dam removal. A fourfold increase in median fish abundance occurred in the fall relative to spring and summer of the same year, regardless of dam presence. Interannual fish abundance in every season monitored increased at least twofold after dam removal. We related variability in fish abundance to tide, discharge, temperature, diurnal cycle, daylength, moon phase, and restoration activities (focusing on dam presence). Daylength corresponding to the fall and summer was the most important indicator for higher fish abundance. Fish abundance was generally greatest in the fall during outgoing tides at night, with lesser peaks occurring during the month of June at night. Before dam removal, fish abundance peaked when water temperature was less than 9.25°C, at night, during outgoing tides. After dam removal, fish abundance peaked when daylength was less than 11.3 hr, at night, during outgoing tides, when water temperature was above 4.56°C and no full moon was present. Peak fish abundance occurred during only 0.02–2.3% of the total time sampled. The threefold increase in fish abundance recorded after dam removal was observed despite yearly stocking efforts of adult alewife increasing 24% in postdam removal years. Finally, parallel studies of fish presence in the Penobscot River were used to compare the utility of this method as an indicator of fish abundance in response to dam removal.