In 1910, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Authorized the Construction

Lock and Dam

Background:

In 1910, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) authorized the construction of the first of three lock and dams on the Cape Fear River. Lock and Dam #1 was completed in 1915 and shortly afterward Lock and Dam #2 was constructed in 1917. And in 1935, William O. Huske Lock and Dam (Lock and Dam #3) was completed. The three lock and dams on the Cape Fear River are located at 39, 71, and 95 miles above Wilmington, North Carolina. These structures were initially authorized by the USACE to ensure a navigable channel for commercial barge traffic from Wilmington to Fayetteville, 111 miles upriver. For many years, river commerce thrived and industries flourished.

While the economies of Fayetteville, Wilmington and the surrounding counties prospered as a result of river commerce, anadromous fish populations such as American shad, Striped bass, Blue back herring, Atlantic and Shortnose sturgeon began to decline. These fish spend there entire lives in the ocean and return to the rivers where they were born in order to spawn. These fish must have access to their traditional spawning grounds located far above Fayetteville in order to support their populations. Now there was a concrete structure blocking the way. The year after Lock and Dam #1 was completed, the Wilmington Morning Star printed an article about the immediate collapse of the shad fishery above Lock and Dam #1. American shad, prior to the construction of the lock and dam system on the Cape Fear River, was considered to be the most economically valuable fish species in North Carolina. Local communities that depended upon the return of American shad every year were now struggling without the extra incomes provided by this fish that once turned the river black with there incredible numbers. For many decades the fading fisheries that supported so many families were ignored in exchange for commercial growth of the Cape Fear region. Presently, the American shad spawning runs up the Cape Fear River are a fraction of there historical migration. Shortnose sturgeon are listed as an “Endangered Species” in the Cape Fear River by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The Blue back herring fishery, just as economically important to many eastern communities as the American shad fishery was in the early twentieth century, now has a total fishing ban in the Cape Fear River basin.

In 1997, a fish ladder was installed at Lock and Dam #1 to aid American shad and Blue back herring to pass over the dam and gain access to an additional 33 miles of river. However, the fish ladder failed to pass an adequate number of fish nor was it successful in passing other species of anadromous fish such as sturgeon or striped bass. A nature-like fish passage was then proposed by the USACE and would involve re-creating a stream through the adjacent floodplain at Lock and Dam #1 and would allow migrating fish to swim around the dam and re-enter the Cape Fear River approximately 2000 feet upstream of the Dam. Beginning in 2002, the USACE began studying the pre-construction conditions of the Cape Fear River from Lock and Dam #1 to Wilmington. This study would include a comprehensive tag and recapture program tracking the migratory patterns of anadromous fish species of the Cape Fear River. For three years American shad, Striped bass, and Atlantic sturgeon were captured, fitted with sonic tags, and tracked up and down the Cape Fear River in order to learn more about their current population and the extent to which these fish utilize the Cape Fear River in there life histories. This study documented the presence of a small population of American shad and Striped bass that still return to the river each year. It also documented the absence of sturgeon species as well confirming the realities of river system segmented by dams. Even though the USACE has been performing regular passage of fish through the lock chambers at all three dams for many years, the numbers of fish that actually pass to the upstream side of the dams are minimal. It is estimated that only 40% of the fish that reach Lock and Dam #1 pass through the regular lock passages. Repeat this scenario at the remaining two lock and dams and it is easy to see that only a very small number of the fish needed to sustain a healthy population are actually reaching there spawning grounds. In 2005, due to funding difficulties at the federal level, the nature-like fish passage construction was postponed indefinitely and a study was instigated to re-evaluate the lock and dam system as a whole.

In 2006, the USACE began a study, Section 216, to re-evaluate the status of the three Lock and Dams and their initial purpose for their construction. These lock and dams were constructed to maintain a navigable channel for commercial traffic between Wilmington and Fayetteville. However, from 1965 to 1995, commercial traffic steadily declined and in 1995, only one barge was reported to have been passed through Lock and Dam #1 during the entire year. The bulk of the usage for three lock and dams has been locking recreational boats up and down river. The USACE still incurs an annual cost of $1 million dollars in order to operate and maintain these lock and dams even though they are not performing their intended purpose. Currently the USACE is study the feasibility of either changing the purpose of the dams, altering the construction of the dams in order to provide fish passage, removing the dams, or de-authorizing the dams to allow a private entity to take over their control and maintenance. This study is still on-going and will take approximately three years to complete. Many factors have to be examined and considered before a final plan for the lock and dams can be approved. Most importantly, the City of Wilmington and Lower Brunswick Sewer Authority both have water supply intakes located just upstream of Lock and Dam #1. This poses a difficult problem because these facilities cannot be moved.

Position:

The Board of Directors of Cape Fear River Watch (CFRW), a community grassroots organization whose mission is conservation of the Cape Fear River, is concerned about the future of the lock and dam system on the Cape Fear River. Anadromous fish populations such as the Striped bass, American Shad, and Shortnose and Atlantic sturgeons have suffered from human impacts throughout their range, from water quality degradation in the Cape Fear watershed, to overfishing in the ocean and river, and perhaps most significantly, the lack of adequate passage through the lock and dam system on the Cape Fear River. We encourage the USACE to continue regular maintenance of the locks and to fully fund lock keeper positions so that the practice of “locking” anadromous fish upstream continues. We also encourage the USACE to continue its current “216 Study” of the changing role of the aging lock and dam system on the Cape Fear River and to consider all feasible alternatives to the locks that achieve the goals of all stakeholders with an interest in the Cape Fear River Basin.

Action:

In order to facilitate the transfer of information from the USACE to the general public, CFRW has initiated a public forum, inviting members of public to participate in an exchange of questions and ideas with representatives of the USACE, N. C. Wildlife Resource Commission, N. C. Department of Natural Resources, City of Wilmington, and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Cape Fear River Watch is dedicated to preserving and restoring fish populations to the Cape Fear River and promotes any initiatives aimed at improving fish passage around the three lock and dams. However, CFRW will not support any change which will jeopardize municipal water supply. CFRW will not insist that the dams be removed. However, CFRW will strongly encourage that there be thorough consideration given to the benefits that could be derived from major changes to the lock and dam system on the Cape Fear River. Cape Fear River Watch will continue to monitor the USACE Section 216 study and will attempt to keep the public informed as to the status of the Cape Fear River lock and dams. Cape Fear River Watch strongly supports any efforts to restore fish populations to the Cape Fear River system .

Sincerely,

CFRW Board of Directors