PHILADELPHIA PA, Dec. 10, 2007 – The fish will be darting upstream with ease and migrating in greater numbers than ever along the Schuylkill River, thanks to a new Fairmount Dam Fish Ladder to be built with funds obtained by Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA).

Groundbreaking ceremonies for the $2.7 million Fish Ladder to benefit the Schuylkill ecosystem were held this morning at the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center and the Gazebo overlooking Fairmount Dam. Congressman Fattah, Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) and officials of the Philadelphia Water Department and the Army Corps of Engineers joined in the celebration.

“This fish ladder is going to make a lot of Philadelphia fishermen happy,” Fattah said. “A fully functioning modern ladder will improve the stock of fish above the Fairmount Dam by allowing them to get there. More important, it will impact and improve the ecology of the Schuylkill River far beyond our city’s boundaries. The shad, striped bass, river herring and other commercially viable and endangered species will finally be able to follow nature’s imperative to head upstream.

“The Army Corps of Engineers and the Philadelphia Water Department are to be commended for undertaking this much-needed improvement,” Fattah said. “I’m proud to partner with Senator Specter to advocate for this project and bring home the funds to make it happen.”

The Fish Ladder, expected to be fully operational by the end of 2008, will replace the 1979 ladder on the west side of the dam that has proved inadequate, preventing most of the striped bass and shad from migrating upstream to spawn, according to the Water Department. The success of several upstream fish ladders and the river’s overall health depend an improved Fairmount Dam Fish Ladder.

The Clean Water Act of 1972 has led to dramatic improvement in the Schuylkill’s ecology, with at least 45 varieties of fish returning to the river. That in turn has increased the need for improved hydraulics and increased flow at the fish ladder.

Fishermen who gather at the riverside along King and Kelly Drives can testify to the river’s improvement, and can look toward even better fishing when the ladder is completed. But they won’t be the only beneficiaries among Philadelphia’s recreation and education minded citizens.

The reconstructed fish ladder will offer an outdoor classroom and a live video feed for educational programs to monitor activity from the Interpretive Center.    

ABC Construction Co. of Bensalem, Pa., will begin work shortly under a $2,699,500 contract awarded in September. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Fairmount Park Commission have also supported the Fish Ladder project.

Event Photos

Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) joins Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) at ceremonies today (Dec. 10, 2007) to launch the $2.7 million reconstruction and modernizing of the 28-year-old Fairmount Dam Fish Ladder that will dramatically improve the upstream ecology and fish stocks along the Schuylkill River. The new Fish Ladder project, developed by the Philadelphia Water Department and the Army Corps of Engineers, was unveiled at the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center, off Kelly Drive, by Fattah, Specter and other officials against a backdrop of educational displays and fish dam animations. 

Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) joins other dignitaries today (Dec. 10, 2007) in the Gazebo overlooking Fairmount Dam (in background), off Kelly Drive, at ceremonies to launch the $2.7 million reconstruction and modernizing for the Fairmount Dam Fish Ladder. The Fish Ladder, to be completed in about a year, will dramatically improve the upstream ecology and fish stocks along the Schuylkill River. The new Fish Ladder project, developed by the Philadelphia Water Department and the Army Corps of Engineers, was unveiled at the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center and the adjoining Gazebo.