Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2017 - 41

Construction is underway to widen the lock chamber at Charleroi, Washington County.

"Fish habitat is defined as depth, velocity and cover. As
the project changes the river in specific areas, places that
were favorable before won't be anymore," said Hartle. "You'll
still have the same volume of water going through the dams,
but there will be some adjustment in what is carried through
the channel, and fish will be moving to where they'll find
suitable depth, velocity and cover-where they don't have to
battle current."
"Getting rid of the Elizabeth dam will eliminate a prime
foraging area for fish, but most species, such as Smallmouth
Bass, will adapt," said Hartle.
Habitat structure will be developed in the tailwaters of
the Charleroi and Braddock dams to compensate for impacts
from the absence of the dam at Elizabeth," said Hartle.
"Removing that dam will take aeration out of the water and
eliminate the higher velocity stretch that attract fish. In 1995,
when we commented on the scope of work, we asked USACE
to come up with a mitigation plan," said Hartle.
"It was decided that demolition rubble from the Elizabeth
dam would be placed in the tailwaters at Charleroi and
Braddock to benefit macroinvertebrates and other forage
species," said Hartle, noting that the rubble will add
structure at strategic locations in a river characterized by
low-gradient, muddy habitat.
The Monongahela River's water, while moderately
healthy, is turbid with a high volume of silt, clay and other
suspended solids, owing to the watershed's geology and soils
as well as abandoned mine drainage and non-point source
pollution. It is favorable habitat for Saugers and Walleyes,
although other species fare well, too. The Monongahela
River's catfish are legendary among locals, who have landed
some of the biggest catfish in Pennsylvania in the past
5 years. They include a 381/2-pound, 411/4-inch Flathead
Catfish and a 151/2-pound Channel Catfish that measured
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331/4 inches. The Monongahela River also produced the
existing state-record Freshwater Drum in 1994 that weighed
19 pounds, 14 ounces.
And, while its bass aren't always big enough to brag
about, it was the Monongahela River that produced a
winning bag for Kevin VanDam in the 2005 CITGO
Bassmaster Classic, although the total weight of 12 pounds,
15 ounces was low by professional tournament standards.
It may be a decade away, but anglers and boaters also can
expect changes on the adjoining Ohio River, where USACE
plans to expand and modernize the Emsworth, Dashields
and Montgomery dams. "We just completed a navigational
study on the upper Ohio River, and the benefit-cost ratio
indicates that upgrading these dams would be a good
investment-about $3.7 for every dollar," said Hawke.
The work has been authorized and needs to be
appropriated in what would be a cost-shared project like
that on the Monongahela River.
By contrast, most dams on the lower Allegheny River
receive little commercial traffic, and USACE is in a
quandary about their future. "Investing in them is unlikely,
because we can't justify the cost," said Hawke. "We're
looking at alternatives including removing the locks. What
we would like to happen is have someone step up and say,
'We want these,' but we haven't found anyone."
Currently, the low-use locks are in caretaker status,
which means they are open to commercial tow companies
by appointment and recreational boaters on weekends. A
$187,000 grant from the Allegheny River Development
Corporation in 2016 allowed for limited staffing of dams
one through four.
It isn't a viable long-term solution, because the more aged
dams become, the more costly they will be to maintain,"
said Hawke. "The risk of failure will be great."

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * July/August 2017

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