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LAKE MATTAMUSKEET PASSAGE MATTAMUSKEET NWR, NORTH CAROLINA
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Initiated in 2000
For more information contact
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Mattamuskeet National Wildlife
Refuge
38 Mattamuskeet Road
Swan Quarter, NC 27885
| Project
Description: |
This project funded
construction and evaluation of new water control structures that
will allow for improved fish passage into the 40,000-acre Lake
Mattamuskeet in coastal North Carolina. Replacement of traditionally-designed
watercontrol structures with a new design in 1989 caused fish
passage to be impeded, particularly for alewife and blueback herring.
New water control structures, similar in design to the traditional
ones, have been installed and their fish passage effectiveness
was evaluated. |
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Aerial photo of Lake Mattamuskeet
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| Project
Outcome: |
Two
stainless steel flap gates were replaced with more traditionally
designed flap gates, one fabricated out of aluminum and one of wood.
Research indicated that the stainless steel gates created flows
too high for most fish to pass and created severe erosion problems
in the outflow canals. Assessment of fish passage under manual opening
scenarios indicates that the aluminum gate design is far better
than the stainless steel design and somewhat better than the wood
design. The aluminum design appears to open wider and easier than
the other designs. The final report for this project is available,
which makes specific recommendations as to the type and number of
flap gates needed to maximize fish passage in and out of Lake Mattamuskeet. |
Stainless steel flap gate (removed), which blocked
fish passage
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| Aluminum replacement gate based on historical design |
Wooden replacement gate based on historicl design |
| Partners: |
USFWS-South Atlantic
Fisheries Coordinators Office and East Carolina University. |
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