Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Fish Ladder at Lake Lenape Dam, Mays Landing, New Jersey

I visited Lake Lenape Dam yesterday. It is about 20 miles west of Atlantic City.

The photo to the left shows a fish ladder that was constructed at the dam in 2006. The fish ladder provides passage for migratory fish with access to 15 miles of upstream spawning and foraging habitat. The dam is co-owned by Atlantic County and Hamilton Township.

Entrance is adjacent to the spillway discharge (on right side of the photo) at invert elevation of 1 foot below the mean sea level. The ladder exits into the lake (on left side of the photo next to the non-operating powerhouse) at invert elevation of 8.3 feet above the mean sea level. The fish ladder is 200 feet long.

A beautiful lake, a beautiful water fall (spillway discharge), a renewable source of energy, plus happy fish! What more we could ask for from a good old dam?

My album contains additional photos of the dam.