Old Mill Pond Fish Ladder

Old Mill Pond Dam was built in 1948 on the Wreck Pond Brook for the purposes of recreation. Part of the 8,172 acre tidal Wreck Pond Watershed, this small lake was once teeming with river herring. Over time, after the natural inlet to Wreck Pond was closed off and tidal flow was limited to a single outfall, the watershed habitat became degraded and underutilized by anadromous fish.

This project is part of larger effort to restore the Wreck Pond Watershed and improve aquatic connectivity in coastal New Jersey. Re-opening river passage for migratory species improves not only the health of Wreck Pond Brook and its watershed, but it also benefits the overall ecosystem of the Atlantic shoreline and its coastal rivers. It also supports important recreational and commercial species, such as cod, haddock, and striped bass, which leads to a healthier economy.

American Littoral Society worked with Princeton Hydro to finalize the design and construction of a 60-foot-long straight Alaska steep pass fishway over the dam. This technical fish ladder is a device that allows a channel of water to flow through it and is engineered to create both the proper water depth and velocity for fish to navigate through. In this case, it will enable fish to scale the 10-foot-high dam and go almost a mile deeper into Wreck Pond Brook where additional optimal freshwater habitat has been identified.

River herring are classified as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Species of Special Concern and identified as requiring Concentrated Conservation Actions. The fish spend most of their lives in the ocean but need freshwater in order to spawn. Installation of this fish passage will enable anadromous fish like Alewife and Blueback river herring to enter the Wreck Pond Watershed. This project was funded by a grant from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.