Invasion

Invasion Description

1st Estuarine Record: Washington/DC/Potomac River (Smith 1907).

1st Watershed Record: near Cumberland/MD/Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Potomac River (1854, Smith 1907). In 1854, 20 adult M. dolomieu were carried from the Ohio River drainage in a locomotive water-tank and released in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal (Smith 1907). Additional stocking in Potomac drainage occurred from the 1860s onward. By 1876, the first MD fish survey reported that M. dolomieu 'abounds' in the Potomac in Montgomery, Frederick, and Washington Counties (Uhler and Lugger 1876)

Geographic Extent

Susquehanna River: Micropterus dolomieu was stocked in the Susquehanna sometime around 1869 (Pennsylvania Department of Fisheries 1904; cited by Bielo 1963), and was abundant in the tidal river near Havre de Grace by 1883 (Bean 1893). A resident population below Conowingo Dam moves from non-tidal waters in winter and spring to tidal fresh waters as oxygen concentrations in the nontidal river drop in summer (Pavol and Davis 1982).

Upper Bay - Micropterus dolomieuwas reported by Bean (1883) at Havre de Grace, MD 'Black Bass' were planted at Principio Creek, 1893, by the USFC (Worth 1895), and M. dolomieu were stocked in the Little and Big Gunpowder River by United States Fish Commission in 1909-1910 (Bowers 1911). This species was collected in the Bohemia River (Fowler 1912; Radcliffe and Welsh 1917) and at Love Point (Hildebrand and Schroeder 1928). One specimen was caught in the the Rhode River at SERC in 1983 (Rob Aguilar, personal communication).

Eastern Shore Tributaries - 'Black Bass' were stocked in the Tred Avon River, at Easton MD in 1901, and in the Pocomoke River at Snow Hill MD in 1901-1907 (Ravenel 1902; 1903; 1904). In 1905, 129 < i>M. dolomieu were stocked in the Blackwater River, Cambridge MD (Bowers 1906). However, the distribution of Smallmouth Bass is very localized on the Eastern Shore (Lee et al. 1976; Lee et al. 1981). They were collected at one location in the Choptank River drainage in a recent MD Department of Natural Resources survey (Kazyak et al. 1998c).

Potomac River- In 1854, 20 adult M. dolomieuwere carried from the Ohio River drainage in a locomotive water-tank and released in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal (Smith 1907). Additional stocking in Potomac drainage occurred from the 1860s onward. By 1876, the first MD fish survey reported that M. dolomieu 'abounds' in the Potomac in Montgomery, Frederick, and Washington Counties (Uhler and Lugger 1876). 'Inside of ten years, the fish literally swarmed in all the tributaries from Mount Vernon to the Headwaters. At the present time the species offers much sport from Washington to Harpers Ferry and beyond, but is not common below the capital' (Smith 1907). This still seems to be an accurate description of its distribution (Jenkins and Burkehead 1993; Lippson et al. 1979), but it was present in nontidal streams at Fort Belvoir VA (Ernst et al.1995).

Rappahannock River- Micropterus dolomieu was probably stocked in 1875–76 and developed a popular fishery by 1882 (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993). It is common in the upper tidal fresh river (Massman et al. 1952; Maurakis et al. 1987).

York River- Micropterus dolomieu was probably stocked in 1875-76 (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993).

James River- In 1871, M. dolomieu was stocked by the Virginia Fish Commission in the middle and upper drainage. By 1877, they were found down the river to Richmond, where they may be resident in tidal fresh water (Jenkins and Burkhead 1993).