NEW HOPE, Pa. -- A dam removal project is having a positive impact on the Delaware River's ecosystem, including a boost to the population of migratory fish.
Removal of the Columbia dam on the Paulins Kill in New Jersey has given migrating shad and sea lamprey access to 20 miles of spawning waterways that had been inaccessible for a century.
Shad are especially important for fishing in the Delaware where there are shad festivals and fishing contests.
But Beth Styler Barry, director of river restoration for The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey, points out that people aren't the only ones who will benefit from increasing the number of fish in the river.
"More shad means more food for things like eagles, heron, bears, otter," she states. "It brings an additional source of nutrition to the entire ecosystem."
Removing the dam also made it possible to restore 32 acres of floodplain that had been covered by the water behind the dam.
Kent Smith, chief of the steering committee for the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership, says the dam removal project on the Paulins Kill is a good example of restoring what environmentalists call white water-to-blue water connectivity.
"You allow for natural tidal cycles," he explains. "Freshwater lenses can flow out over the surface of the estuaries and animals like American shad have the ability to move into their freshwater habitat to complete their life cycle."
Shad started returning to the area less than three weeks after dam removal was completed last year and this year breeding sea lampreys also have been observed.
Barry points out that the restoration brings a number of environmental benefits including washing away built-up sediment and improved water quality.
"The Delaware as a whole is continuing to improve as an ecosystem and, especially as climate changes, the cooler water will be more and more important not only for spawning and feeding but for the temperature refuge," she states.
Two more dams on the Paulins Kill will be removed over the next two years, giving migrating fish access to 45 miles of rivers for spawning and improved habitat for resident species.
Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
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This weekend, Virginians will participate with other birders around the world in the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Thousands of birding enthusiasts count birds seen in their local areas, even within walking distance of their home or in sight of their bird feeders. People need to watch birds for 15 minutes in one location and submit their identified birds to e-bird, a database developed by the Cornell Ornithology Lab and the National Audubon Society.
Max Goldman, statewide access coordinator for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, said it is important to count birds during the winter months. Traditionally, he said, conservation efforts have only focused on breeding times in the spring.
"Wintering kind of fell by the wayside for a long time, even though, from a conservation perspective, you have to have areas for these birds to spend each part of their life cycle over a year," Goldman explained. "If one of those areas is threatened for whatever reason -- the resources are threatened or the area itself disappears -- then you've got a real problem with the survivability of those species."
In 2024, more than 200 countries participated in the count, identifying nearly 8,000 species of birds worldwide.
Nearly 650,000 people participated in last year's bird count, which is three times the number of people who took part a decade ago.
Goldman noted the count works well for those who are just getting started in their interest in birds.
"It's a really interesting way for people who are new birders to report the birds that are in their backyard or that are in the areas that they already go," Goldman pointed out. "Focus on birds during a time of year when they otherwise wouldn't and to contribute to a really robust, large and important data set."
From the 2023 to 2024 counts, 45% of countries saw a 100% increase in submissions.
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This weekend, birders across the world, including in Maryland, will participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Thousands of birding enthusiasts count birds seen in their local areas, even within walking distance of their home. People taking part watch birds for at least 15 minutes in one location and submit their identified birds to e-bird, a database developed by the Cornell Ornithology Lab and the National Audubon Society.
Gabriel Foley, executive director of the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership, said the count serves as a good way to understand local bird populations before the large springtime migrations.
"The fact that migration is not occurring during the timing of this makes a big difference," Foley explained. "It's pretty much just to be able to compare this little snapshot of population from year to year."
In 2024, more than 200 countries participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count, identifying nearly 8,000 species of birds worldwide.
Nearly 650,000 people participated in last year's bird count, three times the number of people who participated just a decade ago. Foley added the count is a great way to expand opportunities for less mobile communities to participate in bird conservation efforts.
"Anybody can be involved," Foley pointed out. "It doesn't matter how old you are. It's a great opportunity, especially because it tends to be centered around home, for young folks and older folks, who might have access issues, getting out into places where other bird counts happen."
From the 2023 to 2024 counts, 45% of countries saw a 100% increase in submissions.
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Grasslands are considered a vital component of South Dakota's landscape. But on the heels of new research, an expert suggests they might not fare as well if the rate of drought patterns keeps intensifying.
Scott Collins, a University of New Mexico biology professor, helped co-author a new study that compared grasslands in North America and China, and their ability to recover from a drought. He said the areas they looked at in the United States performed better, despite some being in drier climates.
However, Collins warned that research is still evolving, and said if a warming planet produces more droughts, this is something grassland-heavy regions need to pay close attention to.
"Grasslands are underappreciated. They store a lot of carbon, they harbor a lot of biodiversity," he said. "We really need to think about their future under the climate regimes we're anticipating."
Research authors have said these findings could have broad implications for land management practices under the threat of climate change. Collins said South Dakota's grasslands are more comparable to China's than to the southern Plains states they studied. That means their productivity might suffer more if future drought predictions are accurate.
Collins said the group of researchers who teamed up for this project looked at impacts based on just one drought cycle. No matter how sensitive a grassland is to these conditions, he said, prolonged stretches of no rain -- with few gaps in between -- will eventually overwhelm the vegetation.
"As that happens," he added, "then you'll see a dramatic decline in production, and probably substantial changes in the composition of those grasses. "
Grasslands also contribute to agriculture, especially for livestock grazing. Such groups as the South Dakota Grasslands Coalition are working with area farmers to prepare for these scenarios. That includes tips from experts on how to better manage cattle on drought-stricken lands.
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