Maryland spent $12 million on a fish lift in 1991 to move American shad past Conowingo Dam; decades later, annual runs remained far below the 2 million-fish target

Maryland invested $12 million in a fish lift to help migrating shad overcome the Conowingo Dam. This technological solution proved ineffective, moving only a fraction of the targeted fish annually. Experts now favor dam removal over fish passage structures like lifts and ladders. The state is investing $340 million in environmental upgrades and trucking fish past the dam. This situation reflects costly infrastructure projects that under-delivered on their initial goals.