Calco Dam Removal 2011

Highlights of the removal of the Calco Dam on the Raritan River in central New Jersey in July-August 2011 to restore anadromous fish passage on this historic river

[@DuckDuckGoose13]

:) Y'all are doing awesome work, I hope to see more of this in the future

[@JohnWJengo]

Thank you Gregory, I appreciate that positive feedback!

[@JohnWJengo]

For example, in 2011 there were no observed smallmouths moving past Island Farm Weir in the three months (March-May 2011) before Calco was removed, but last year (2012), 126 smallmouth bass were observed moving upriver just between March and May 2012. And we saw the number of American shad migrating upriver increase 500% in a single year post-dam removal and the total number of fish moving upriver tripled. Precisely the population increases we were hoping for. Thanks again for your comments.

[@Noneya2023]

I’m so happy for the fish, birds & wildlife! Humans saw a big error & tried to fix it. Bravo to everyone involved!!!

[@JohnWJengo]

Thanks very much for your gracious comment. Indeed, we did try to undo the damage to the river and all indications are that the fish are returning to the river and spawning once again, as they had been doing for thousands of years before the dam was built. Thanks again!

[@JohnWJengo]

All superb ideas! This fisheries restoration effort has more elements than just dam removals. I'm pleased to hear of a much more intensive study of the Island Farm Weir fish ladder and I'm sensing that improving or bypassing that ladder or modifying the dam itself is now 'on the table' as a necessary action, whereas when I started this work in 2008, it was assumed that nothing needed to be done about that fish obstruction. Thanks for your thoughtful ideas and your advocacy for the Raritan.

[@westlonghorns50]

Nice job, John and the team. A rewarding project brought to completion with benefits to many different stakeholders. And hopefully without any incident, too. Thanks for sharing!

[@fordnut4914]

Its 2;30 in the morning I'm on a dam removal rampage.

[@volkhen0]

ford nut you are not alone.

[@angeliquedomini7259]

B R A V O AMERICA, THANK YOU FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE RIVERS WITHOUT THOSE DAMS. YOU ARE OUR HEROS.

[@JohnWJengo]

Jay, thanks for your message. The dam removals are now allowing resident fish to move more freely up and down the river and they can seek out the natural deep pools that are not oxygen-deficient like the impoundments were immediately behind the dams. You are correct that stripers were being caught above Calco Dam in the past (they are more capable of passing over dams). The great news is that with the dam removals, many more stripers are moving upriver from the lower reaches of the river.

[@belowmes]

You get the rest of these dams down and I'm starting a drift boat buisness, just like the ones on the Delaware river. I have been looking at drift boats on line for 2 years now. If it works out I'm going to quit my job and do a drift boat service on the Raritan river, you can always ride for free John !!!

[@keithdmaust1854]

Unintentional ASMR ;) Very relaxing to watch - thanks!

[@JohnWJengo]

Thanks for your considerate comment!

[@PacoOtis]

Wow! Thanks for sharing a job so well done. Best of luck!

[@JohnWJengo]

Thanks for your supportive comment, I appreciate it very much. Thank you.

[@JohnWJengo]

Still intensely working with the owner on providing them with an alternate water supply but I'm very hopeful and optimistic that we will have fish passage at the Nevius St Dam. I'll be able to announce in July what that passage will look like so please stayed tuned and thanks again for your support and interest in this work, I appreciate it.

[@fakeusa]

Thanks John and we appreciate your work as well!

[@fakeusa]

Thanks for all your hard work !! Can't wait to see the removal of the Nevius St. dam and the hopefully the Headgates dam too :-)

[@JohnWJengo]

@fakeusa, Thanks for your kind comments. As you have correctly surmised, the momentum for dam removal increases as each adjacent downstream barrier is removed. As such, I know that the NJDEP is about to start a feasibility study on the Headgates Dam (i.e., the Duke Island Park dam), which is exactly how I started my projects back in 2008 with the three dam removals that I'm managing. And our colleague at NOAA are assessing the dams on the Branches to determine their status. Thanks again!

[@Noneya2023]

It seems like they went above & beyond expectations to remove that dam. I was not expecting to see that much effort 🍄🍁🪨🐟🐟🐟🐟

[@JohnWJengo]

I appreciate your insight comment. As the first dam removal ever attempted in the Raritan River watershed, it was my goal to demonstrate how it could be done safety, efficiently, and as cleanly/neatly as possible so that the public would support subsequent dam removals, which they have done wholeheartedly. Thanks.

[@JohnWJengo]

Yes, that's right. This is the second of the three dam removals that I'm managing; the Robert St Dam is actually two dams on top of one another, supported by steel sheet piles driven into bedrock, so the removal has been the most challenging so far but I'm confident that we'll be successful. Look for a video on that removal, to be called "Robert Street Dam Removal" to be posted on KZbin by the end of August. Thanks.

[@drinny26]

I love these videos! Those damn dams gotta go!

[@JohnWJengo]

The dams most definitively obstruct migratory fish passage. In the few days during the shad & herring migration season that the dams are submerged by flood waters (typically 5 days out of 90 days), a few dozen fish can migrate upriver but what we are trying to accomplish is to open the river permanently for consistent fish passage. That will be the difference between a few shad and herring making it upriver every year, which is the case now, versus the thousands we hope to see every year. Thx.

[@camel1945]

Super job!!

[@chrismechanic2000]

love the care for planet earth, dam busting looks fun.

[@JohnWJengo]

Thank you. Dam busting is absolutely fun, and part of the joy includes meeting all the users of the river and see how much a free flowing river means to them and the surrounding communities. Thanks.

[@gubermon5903]

One of the few jobs I watch one youtube that I could see myself wanting to get into

[@kodeine222]

JohnWJengo how did they ensure all the rebar was out? That seems kind of dangerous for people right ?

[@belowmes]

IV. Access A. Kayak and canoe launch in Duke Island Park. B. Kayak and canoe launch at Roberts Street in Raritan C. Better portage at Headgates if not removed. D. Kayak and canoe launch in Manville

[@fakeusa]

Awesome!! Besides the Roberts St/Edge Water Ave and Nevius St. dams are there plans to remove the other dams? Dam in Dukes Island park (by Red Oak Way)? Dam on the North Branch by 202S / Mill Ln? Dam on South Branch by Rackafellow Mill? The removing these would really open up a nice stretch of our river for these anadromous fish!!

[@fakeusa]

Any updates on the Nevius Street dam? Will it be removed this summer?

[@belowmes]

III. Dam removal A. Continue dam removal at Nevius St. and Headgates. B. Remove dams on the Millstone river

[@riparianlife97701]

That style of dam is deadly to rafters and kayakers, because they cause recirculating holes .

[@JohnWJengo]

Most definitively true. Although the primary reason for these dam removals are to restore migratory fish passage (shad, alewife, herring), there is no question that the river is so much safer to canoe and kayak, particularly at the former Robert Street Dam location, where there were documented drownings in the brutal reverse roller (please have a look at that video on KZbin to see the before and after. Thanks.

[@riparianlife97701]

JohnWJengo Some poor bastard on a "two man" Sevylor raft spent 6 hours in a recirculating hole behind a 4' dam on San Luis Creek. Search and rescue finally saw him, and grabbed him from an inflatable jet boat. He couldn't swim so he just rode the damn thing to and beyond exhaustion. He might have made it down 15 miles of a natural river through class II rapids in that amount of time.

[@JohnWJengo]

Excellent point; I think more people are realizing the true risk of these low head dam "drowning machines," which is good because if I can't appeal to the ecologically-minded folks who favor enhanced fish passage, then certainly those people who want to kayak or canoe a much safer river fully understand that the elimination of these low head dams is literally life-saving. Thanks for your comments!

[@riparianlife97701]

+JohnWJengo I'd like to see an effort to simply cut a channel through hundreds of low-head dams instead of meticulously returning a few to their natural state. They can go back and finish the work later.

[@StereoSpace]

+Docktor Jim I think most of the work on a project like this is in the planning, permitting, funding and logistics. Once everything is approved and the equipment is on site, it's most cost effective to simply finish the job. It's only a few more days work to remove the whole dam as opposed to part of it.

[@fakeusa]

Roberts St dam removal started this week!

[@belowmes]

Fisherman’s Proposal for the upper Raritan river (Headgates to 2nd 287 crossing in Somerset) I. Stocking of fish A. Increased license sales- more fish to catch will entice more people to fish. B. Better reputation for the Raritan- proof the State has invested in the Raritan. C. Fall trout stocking from the Headgates to Rt. 206 D. Walleye stocking from Rt.206 to the 2nd 287 crossing in Somerset. E. An attempt at Sea Run Brown Trout

[@fakeusa]

Any updates on the dam removals at Nevius Street bridge dam or Roberts St?

[@123jkjk123]

John - I hope you are right, but like Dan, I've caught stripers well upstream of the Calco dam very consistently for many years before the dam was removed. Are you guys considering the impact on resident fish and how would you even assess? These dams are/were important summer pools for smallmouth bass. They provided oxygenated water and the deepest holes in the shallow Raritan. I think there's no doubt these resident fish populations are suffering from the dam removals.

[@jmr1068204]

Nasty looking lowhead...even at low flow you can see how deadly it is with the boil line being visible. I'm a bit confused, though. In the beginning, water is obviously all the way across the dam and visible from one side all the way to the other side and going over steadily. At 3:04, the excavator with the chisel on it is maybe 10-15 feet from the dam. When comparing the height of the tracks on the excavator (which can't be over 2-3 feet or a little over, at most) with the dam height, I get the impression that there isn't much depth below the dam.Is the water really that shallow in front of the dam? The same depth as where the excavator is? Maybe not. I was just curious. I noticed that the excavator kept a distance from the dam. Was that was just to keep from putting the arm of the excavator in an awkward position if the excavator was too close to the dam or is it much deeper at the base of the dam? But then again, deep at the base and shallow 10-15 feet away from the face of the dam seems like a ridiculous idea, too.

[@JohnWJengo]

jmr1068204 Excellent question, and a perceptive observation on your part. The excavator is in shallow water, but he is purposely keeping his distance, because between his location and the dam is a scour hole so that's not a ridiculous idea at all. On every dam I've worked on, including the one that I was investigating this week, there are deep scour "trenches" right at the base of the dam that are very deep (sometimes 6-8 feet deep when the normal water depth should be 3 feet) that are formed by the continual plunging of water off the crest of the dam. This is also the same deep scour trench that tends to drown people who go over the dam in their boats. Thanks for your comment.

[@christophershepherd5742]

i would fish and swim in the raritan river when i was a kid 1963-69 lots of fun

[@hippielewis4768]

Great job-River looks natural-OH! If they could only pump the water to California.

[@JohnWJengo]

Thanks for your comment!

[@ericdraves8298]

He has a great job

[@carstenprilow1837]

Why dont you use a better resolution.

[@johnisbell574]

I just wondered what kind of fish will be traveling up and down the river, and does this river empty into the ocean?

[@jbbuzzable]

All rivers and streams eventually empty into the ocean.

[@JohnWJengo]

Thanks for this good question. Along the Atlantic seaboard, certain fish such as American shad, blueback herring, alewife, and several other species return to fresh water to spawn (as salmon also do most famously along the West Coast and Alaska). The Raritan River is directly connected to the Atlantic Ocean through Raritan Bay so the Raritan was historically a major migration route for these migratory fish (even supporting at one time a commercial shad fishery). Thus, the importance of these Raritan River dam removals is that we are attempting to restore those ancestral migration routes for these fish species. Thanks.

[@phokjiouh59]

0:07 Ownd!

[@belowmes]

No one is happier than I to see the shad returning to the Raritan but.........we can watch shad numbers rise and fall each year, this can go on for the next 100 years. Shad numbers rise and fall each year on the Delaware river each year. Look at my ideas and tell me I am crazy.

[@ivonekowalczyk5823]

Yay!

[@ryanfritts9120]

is the guy in the red shirt from blade runner?

[@bavondale]

Brion Howard James? yeah kinda

[@tauras88d]

thats one hell of a jackhammer now,

[@11111972cjb]

John is a Damn removalist or a Dam removalist

[@michaeljmontenegro578]

so what you're saying is that a 75 year old and is keeping back of fish that belongs in the ocean and you're just now finding that out

[@KB4QAA]

MM: No. It has been known since the dams were first installed.

[@felixyusupov7299]

Dam.

[@davidstabile700]

very entertaining

[@wrightgregson9761]

almost impossible to hear him.

[@drinny26]

Have the fish population increased?

[@englishruraldoggynerd]

Yes, hugely. First three year’s average of 1000% increase spread across all species. Awesome!

[@danyeo]

I've seen fat Carp jump high dams than that. I'm not oppossed to the dam removal but I think they are exaggerating how much the dams obstruct the fish. You can catch Shad at the Roberts dam and that means they are getting over the Fish Laddder dam, and the Nevius street dam.

[@masterspin7796]

I watch more of this stuff than I do porn...

[@belowmes]

II. Reduced Emphasis on Shad Reproduction A. Annually numbers rise and fall- forgone conclusion that Shad will return every year. B. Results from tagging survey yet TBD. C. Shad already existing with stocked trout on the upper Raritan D. Fish ladder inadequate to process numbers of returning Shad.

[@jmr1068204]

Why did it take 3 years to plan this? I don't understand. Wait for low flow rates, chisel away and let it drain to a lower point after a few days and then chisel away even more.

[@JohnWJengo]

Dam removals are highly regulated in New Jersey so it took that long to gain access to the private land next to the dam (different owner than the dam owner so it took a long time to work out all the liability protections so they would be indemnified in case we had an injury), execute an agreement with the dam owner to be granted permission to remove the dam (and indemnify them also), develop a hydraulic model to demonstrate what river flows were the safest to work in the river, and there were five different NJDEP permits that had to be completed, which including environmental impact studies, engineering drawings, and ecological studies. We had to wait until we received permit approvals from all the different regulatory agencies and there is only a 6-week window when you are allowed to work in the river so even though we had most of our approvals the winter before, we could not begin until the following July. Thanks for your question.

[@johncholmes643]

That is the smallest dam I've ever seen.

[@jbbuzzable]

There were a lot of them in my area. Used to power sawmills and flour mills. Most of them have been removed with great results.

[@JohnWJengo]

Indeed, it was of a size to actually be defined as a weir; however, it was tall enough to prevent the migration of fish and being the most downstream fish passage obstruction is why it was the first dam to be removed under the Raritan River fish passage initiative that I am managing. Thanks.

[@zelkokrznaric1488]

👍👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏✌️✌️✌️🇭🇷🇭🇷

[@readysetsleep]

This was done in 2011 but the now have Skeleton / Screening Buckets for this type of wet material removal. www.ransome-equip.com/skelbuckets.php

[@andreaparisella2094]

ESCAVATORE

[@lakewildharber5582]

@2:58 it says it took three years of engineering, planning and research to begin demo of this? LOL really!?

[@JohnWJengo]

Well yes, but not because it was a big structure. We had to get the owner of the dam to agree to its removal, and we also had to obtain permission from two separate land owners to allow us access (the dam was on their property), plus obtain five different state permits for the work (plus local permits), and hydraulically model the demolition to prove to the public that flooding wouldn't increase downstream if we removed the dam, and devise a means to cross a high volume RR track with the demo debris and so on. Well, you get the idea. Because this was the first dam removal on this river, we had a lot to prove that it was safe - hopefully some day, we can get these dams down faster (actually, we've done the Robert Street Dam and the Nevius Street Dam in the last two years). Thanks for your comment.

[@englishruraldoggynerd]

Craig G nope. This isn’t brexit!

[@CamioneroblW]

When the flow of a river is slowed it only helps. As the water travel fast doesn’t give enough time to the land to absorb the nutrients from the water and contribute to land eruption. Giving a 5 inch overflow during summer will allowed the underwater habitants room to migration along the river and in winter as the river level is high . It won’t hurt but instead help keeping the water level al year around and distributing enough nutrients to the soil and the plants along the river bank

[@sniper152]

dynamite would have been more exciting.

[@louisc.gasper7588]

Why in the hell is NOAA involved in this? That's the worst of the federal government: nothing can be done without getting clearance from at least half a dozen different agencies.

[@englishruraldoggynerd]

To forecast future weather and flooding, then provide proof that removing the dam won’t flood people downstream 👍🏻