Canal Fish Recovery

Type: Nontidal
Region: Western
Location: C&O Canal

As Potomac flood waters recede, fish can become trapped in the C&O canal that parallels the river from Cumberland to Georgetown. Most sections of the canal do not hold water yearround and will dry up in time. Several members of the Mid-Atlantic Muskies forum and National Park Service staff assisted MD DNR with efforts to recover fish trapped in the canal in Washington County. Electrofishing gear mounted on a floating barge was used to capture fish. Most of the fish recovered were carp, though channel catfish, suckers, sunfish, and smallmouth bass were also collected. The volunteers hauled the heavy tubs of fish up the slippery banks to a fish hauling truck that transported them to the nearest boat ramp where they were returned to the river. A special thank you to Ed Lewandoski, Rocky Droneburg, Gene, and Chris Cannon for their hard work and enthusiasm in spite of the heat, mud, and swarms of mosquitoes.

(Photos by Ed Lewandoski)