STATE'S ONLY FISH LIFT OFFERS UNDERWATER VIEW
Unique to the state and the Southeast, the fish lift at St. Stephen dam affords safe passage for fish migrating upstream to spawn and permits visitors a close-up, underwater view through a glass window. The fish lift, actually a lock designed specifically for fish passage at this site, was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1985 as part of the St. Stephen Powerhouse on the Rediversion Canal in Berkley County. The fish lift is capable of transporting thousands of fish over the dam daily, and a viewing window gives visitors a unique underwater view of fish migration while allowing biologists to monitor fish passage into the lakes. A vital importance to the well-being of the fisheries at Santee Cooper, known world-wide for producing world and state record fish, the fish lift restoration goal is to restore fish passage of the Anadromous fish populations back to what it was before the Pre-Rediversion levels.
Anadromous fish spend most of their lives in saltwater. Each spring they return to freshwater to spawn. The Species of Anadromous fish that use the Santee Cooper Lake System are Blueback Herring, American Shad, Stripped Bass, Hickory Shad, Shortnose Sturgeon and Atlantic Sturgeon, which are so rare they are considered endangered.
The lift is operated by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Al Crosby. For the last 8 years, each spring, he has been counting and monitoring the fish as they move from the ocean up the Santee River to Lakes Moultrie and Marion. These fish provide recreational and commercial fishing opportunities as well as a primary food source for game fish such as Santee-Cooper Striped Bass.
Physiological process takes place as the fish leave the saltwater and swim into freshwater streams. These adaptations are unique to anadromous fish. They can travel over 100 miles up freshwater and have evolved the ability to navigate rapids and obstructions such as dams that has completely blocked access to spawning grounds.
A young fish stays in freshwater until late fall. When they get to be 2-5 inches long they start towards the ocean where they have extensive migrations up and down the Atlantic coast each year. They stay in the saltwater 3- 6 years before returning to the freshwater to spawn.
Blueback Herring and American Shad spawned in Santee Cooper migrate over 1000 miles to the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Tagged Herring in SC have been recovered from Mass. and Maine. Along the Atlantic seaboard they feed in the autumn on the bays abundant plankton. Annual migrations along the East Coast are made till maturity (4 years) At maturity each stock seeks the river in which they were spawned.
What guides them?
" There are theories behind how the fish know where to go. Some think it's the scent of the water, chemical , electrical . Haven't pin pointed it. It's one of nature's wonders," says Crosby. "From north to south they vary on when they return to spawn. Four to six years".
Man built a passage way while fish ways have been constructed and manipulated.
The Santee & Cooper Rivers that were first connected in 1800 by a 22 mile long 10 lock canal, allowed goods from plantations to be delivered to Charleston on barges drawn by horses and mules. In colonial times, the herrings naturally oily back bones were used as lamp wicks. The Canal closed in 1850's and is now overgrown and flooded. To learn more about the canal you should visit the Old Santee Canal Park in Monck's Corner.
In 1941 the Santee River was dammed creating the lakes. The Santee was diverted to the Cooper, now known as the Diversion Canal Project, was constructed by the SC Public Service Authority. The goal was to provide hydroelectric power and provide flood control for the Santee River Basin and provide a navigation route from Charleston to Columbia.
To allow boat traffic to pass from the Cooper River and back a lock was installed at the Pinopolis dam. At time of construction this was the world's highest single lift lock.
Damming of the river blocked hundreds of miles of migration routes for anadromous fish returning to spawn while it created the country's first land locked stripped bass fishery.
The locked worked well as fish swam back into spawning grounds. The ecosystem seemed to be stabilizing but another problem arose. The Cooper River before diversion was a small tidal creek ending at the Charleston Harbor. The combined flow with the Santee created shoaling problems in the Harbor. Dredging was not the answer. The US Army Corps of Engineers proposed the Cooper River Rediversion Project.
The majority of the water was now re-diverted back to the Santee River via a new canal- The Rediversion Canal. Instead of discharging all of the water into the Cooper through the Pinopolis Dam. The dam was then constructed near St. Stephen to maintain discharge control and hydroelectric power and to allow upstream migrating fish to pass beyond the new dam and into the lake system the St. Stephen Fish Lift was built in 1985.
The Fish Lift has special gates to create and adjust flows that attract fish into a long entrance channel on the downstream side of the dam. Once inside the gate closes and drives the fish into a lock chamber. The lock floods to lake level just as a boat does. Then a basket prompts the fish to swim out of the lift chamber. As fish swim they pass by windows where they can be viewed, identified, and counted.
Modifications since original construction have been made. A downstream by pass structure as an alternative to the fish going through the hydroelectric turbines was built. A separate structure for holding Stripped Bass was completed, and the original fish counting window is now the Visitor's Center where the public can watch the fish swim.
Technology has also advanced in how the fish are counted. There are now 2 cameras to make sure that no fish are missed. "Now I am video taping so that it can be recounted or slowed down or stopped in a frame to make it easier to distinguish type of fish and count them, as they overlap. The video offers better viewing quality and the ability to adjust the speed at which they swim by making it easier to count," says Crosby.
ECONOMIC- ECOLOGICAL IMPACT
Thriving fisheries offer sport and commercial fish opportunities. The success of the reproduction of the anadromous fish represent a direct economic balance for fish related businesses and other area businesses.
"When the dam was built in 1941 the country was on the verge of going to war., says Crosby. "There were no environmental concerns. The concern was making jobs and getting the country's people to work with the Depression. They figured there was an endless supply they had no foresight. In the 1960's they started looking at the numbers and doing research on the impact of the rediversion.
With the Columbia Broad River Passage being completed last year after the spawn run this year the fish will be able to swim 30 to 50 miles further up river. Hopes are that they will swim all the way up into NC. It's a 10 year Plan to drive the population further up the river like they used to."
Even though the numbers are good there is fierce competition from commercial fishing, predators and over fishing . The factors have taken their toll over time.
Herring serve as food for Bald Eagles, Osprey, Herons, Stripped bass, largemouth bass. Commercial catches are used for crab and catfish bait, pet food and fish meal.. They are also harvested for their eggs- called Roe which can be eaten salted, pickled, fresh, or smoked.
The fish are returning to abundance through co-operative efforts between the US Army Corps, Santee Cooper and SCDNR, Al Crosby. Peak spawning runs are in March & April. The onset is related to warming water temperatures. They take their spawning journey 2-3 years in a row. Herring also spawn up the Cooper River through the boat lock at Pinopolis Dam into the lakes. They lay several hundred thousand of eggs. The eggs hatch in 3-7 days. They provide food for several kinds of game fish especially the stripped bass.
The St. Stephen Fish Lift is open to visitors from March 15, 2007 – April 15, 2007. Your family will really enjoy watching the fish. Fish migration is a natural phenomenon though, and so is subject to changing environmental conditions including water discharge. Passage of fish at a specific time cannot be guaranteed.
Due to the current state of alert in our nation today, you must have a reservation. Since 9/11 visitors must call in advance to make a reservation for a free tour. For further information regarding tours, please contact Sabrina Wright at DNR’s Dennis Wildlife Center in Bonneau at (843) 825-3387.