Tradition Meets Innovation

Tradition Meets Innovation. . , The Problem , The Stockdale Mill has worked well for the production of flour and corn meal since construction in 1856 however; the dam that provides waterpower to the mill turbine also hindered the ability of fish to migrate upstream. Nearly 80% of freshwater riverine fish species are migratory and rely on large stretches of river to complete their life cycle. The connectivity of stream habitat for spawning, rearing, and overwintering is critical to the health of fish populations within the Eel River ecosystem. Unfortunately, the study of fish passage as a whole has been devoted mainly to diadromous migratory fish (fish migrating between saltwater and freshwater on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts) and not to migratory freshwater fishes within Midwest streams like the Eel River. Due to the lack of research, blocked inland waterways by culverts and/or dams have been overlooked and highly misunderstood.

Fish Ladder Construction , The four-year effort to install this prototype fish ladder began after the Stockdale Mill Foundation gave their blessing to move forward with the project in 2013 as part of their pledge "to be good stewards of the mill, dam, and river as they educate the public on their history significance.” The fish ladder would provide a way for fishes to safely cross the dam and reach areas upstream to complete their life cycle and genetically connect populations above and below the dam.

A partnership of biologists spent many years studying the fish populations in the Eel River while documenting how barriers affect fish migration. The Stockdale Mill dam provided a representative site that was the perfect location to test a one-of-a-kind fish passageway invented by B.K. Riverfish, LLC. Laboratory research and development of the fish ladder took place over a two-year period followed by a full-scale prototype constructed and delivered to the Stockdale site on. August 14, 2017. An antenna system to track the movement of fish within the river and fish ladder was installed in September 2017. The ladder was officially opened in mid-November 2017.

Since the installation and opening of the fish ladder, more than 15 fish species have been observed inside of the ladder. Fish as small as three inches have been documented to move through the ladder and around the dam. The first time fish could pass around the dam in 160 years! It is estimated fish as large as two feet will be able to swim up the ladder.

The fish ladder will be monitored to evaluate the number and kinds of fish that use the ladder. This project shines a light on the problem of barriers to migratory freshwater fish as well as an innovative solution that allows fishes to pass over or around dams while preserving the history that sits at this site and other similar historic sites.

Ladder/River Facts , It is estimated that 15 species of fish and thousands of individuals have passed through the ladder since its opening

Listed as a National Fish Habitat Partnership Top 10 Watersheds to Watch

American Bald Eagles nest along the river

The ancestral home of the Potawatomi and Miami Indians Geologic boundary between the glacial lakes region (north) and the glacial till plain (south)

The ancestral home of the Potawatomi and Miami Indians

Geologic boundary between the glacial lakes region (north) and the glacial till plain (south)

52 species of fish call the Eel River home (one state endangered)

The Eel River is about 100 miles long

River otters call the Eel River home

Home to 25 freshwater mussel species (including two federally endangered)

The watershed land use is 85% row-crop agriculture

Popular destination for recreation (canoeing, swimming, fish, etc.) . This historical marker is in Stockdale in Wabash County Indiana