American Eels To Be Reintroduced To Pickering Creek

CHESTER SPRINGS, PA — A native fish is going to make a comeback in Pickering Creek.

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network announced that they will be reintroducing American eels into the creek this week.

Specifically, the eel will help to control populations of an invasive species of crayfish, known as the virile crayfish (Faxonius virilis). thereby improving the ecological health of the watershed.

More than 1,000 eels will be released during a special event on Aug. 29 at 11 a.m. at Yellow Springs.

Scientists have noted that even small amounts of eels can eliminate the invasive species of crayfish, while native crayfish have shown they can coexist beside eels. The virile crayfish populations impact both native crayfish populations and the macroinvertebrate community at large, posing a threat to biodiversity, the U.S. Geological Survey has noted.

The health of the creek will be monitored along several sites where the eels are released. As eels eventually depart on an incredible journey out to the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic for reproduction, a variety of sizes of eels will be introduced in Pickering, so that their full impact can be judged.

The project is a unique partnership between the Network and a variety of nonprofits and government agencies, including the Western PA Conservancy, Academy of Natural Sciences, U.S. Geological Survey, and Green Valleys Watershed Association.