Home > News Bytes > DRBC Helps Celebrate 40 Years of the Lambertville ShadFest
DRBC Helps Celebrate 40 Years of the Lambertville ShadFest
The DRBC setup on Lewis Island. Photo by the DRBC.
The DRBC setup on Lewis Island. Photo by the DRBC.

In 2023, the Lambertville ShadFest turned 40, and DRBC staff was happy to help celebrate this award-winning community event highlighting fish, art, food & fun!

Staff also enjoyed getting back outdoors after winter and interacting in-person with the public, educating about clean water and how we work to manage, protect and improve the Basin's water resources.

The DRBC's exhibit was set up on Lewis Island, along the Delaware River. It's the perfect place to talk about our water quality monitoring programs. One such program looks at the biological health of the river by studying the river's macroinvertebrate - aquatic insect - communities.

Wait, what? Bugs can tell us about clean water? Yes! But, how?

Staff collected insects from the Delaware River and displayed them in trays of water. Using identification keys and with the help of DRBC staff, kids and adults alike were able to identify the bugs found in the water samples. The hands-on lesson explained that the type and amount of bugs found in a waterway can help tell how healthy the river is. Some bugs, for example mayflies, stoneflies and dragonflies, are sensitive to pollution; others, such as scuds, crayfish and aquatic worms, are more pollution tolerant. Finding more pollution sensitive species in the water samples, as well as a wide variety, which we did at ShadFest, are positive indicators of the health of the Delaware River at this location.

  •  Learn more about the DRBC's Biomonitoring Program

Lewis Island is also home to the Lewis Fishery, the last commercial shad fishery in New Jersey on the Delaware River. The Fishery has been in operation since the late 1800s. During ShadFest, fishery crew members, led by Steve Meserve, offered a demonstration on how they seine (catch with nets) for American shad. American shad are anadromous fish, meaning they return to the waterway in which they were born to spawn, or reproduce. The Lewis Fishery seines for shad throughout the spring spawning run, which is typically from April to May. In addition to selling to the local community, the data they collect on shad and other fish in the river are shared with state fisheries biologists, providing a vital, century-long dataset on overall shad numbers, males vs. females and more.

  •  Learn more about the Lewis Fishery:

      •  Check out this April 21, 2023, piece from retired 6ABC New Jersey Correspondent Nora Muchanic

      •  Check out this 2019 NJ Spotlight article about the book Another Haul by Lewis Fishery Crew member Charlie Groth

The Lambertville ShadFest celebrates the region's arts community, the Delaware River, and of course, the annual return of the American shad! The Delaware River is an important waterway for American shad, and their presence is indicative of the water quality improvements that have occurred over time. For decades during the 1900s, pollution robbed the lower Delaware River of the oxygen needed for shad and other fish to breathe. The number of American shad in the Delaware increased dramatically by the late 1980s and early 1990s due in large part to pollution control programs conducted by the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) and other environmental agencies.

•  Learn more about American shad

We thank Steve Meserve and the Lewis Fishery Crew for having us on Lewis Island with them. DRBC staff have been tabling with the Lewis Fishery Crew since the mid-1990s, and we are ever appreciative of this nearly 30-year partnership and friendship!

The Delaware River at Lambertville, N.J. Photo by the DRBC. The DRBC Saturday Shad Fest Crew. Photo by the DRBC. DRBC's Kyle McAllister talks aboutwhat bugs you find in the river. Photo by the DRBC.
The Delaware River at Lambertville,
N.J. Photo by the DRBC.
The DRBC Saturday Shad Fest Crew.
Photo by the DRBC.
DRBC's Kyle McAllister talks about
what bugs you find in the river. Photo
by the DRBC.
The DRBC's baggo boards were a hit at ShadFest. The younger kids loved simply playing with the bean bags! Photo by the DRBC. The Lewis Fishery Crew demonstrateshow they fish for shad using arowboat and large nets. Photo by the DRBC. The nets are slowly brought in toshore. As they get closer, you can start to see the movement of all the fish caught. Photo by the DRBC.
The DRBC's baggo boards were a hit
at ShadFest. The younger kids loved
simply playing with the bean bags!
Photo by the DRBC.
The Lewis Fishery Crew demonstrates
how they fish for shad using a
rowboat and large nets. Photo by the
DRBC.
The nets are slowly brought in to
shore. As they get closer, you can
start to see the movement of all the
fish caught. Photo by the DRBC.
An American shad caught on Saturday. Photo by the DRBC. Kids love checking out the trays to see what types of bugs they can find. Photo by the DRBC. The Delaware River and the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge. Photo by the DRBC.
An American shad caught Saturday.
Photo by the DRBC.

Kids love checking out the trays to see what types of bugs they can find. Photo by the DRBC.

The Delaware River and the New
Hope-
Lambertville Bridge.
Photo by the DRBC.
Macroinvertebrates are collected from the river. Staff (in waders) place the netdownstream and gently disturb the riverbottom upstream, collecting the bugs in the net. Photo by the DRBC. The net is then rinsed in a large bucket and a sieve is used to sort out the bugs from other sediment and debris. Photo by the DRBC. Adults also love checking out thetrays to see what types of bugs theycan find. Photo by the DRBC.
Macroinvertebrates are collected from the river. Staff (in waders) place the net downstream and gently disturb the riverbottom upstream, collecting the bugs in the net. Photo by the DRBC. The net is then rinsed in a large
bucket and a sieve is used to sort
out the bugs from other sediment
and debris. Photo by the DRBC
.
Adults also love checking out the trays to see what types of bugs they can find. Photo by the DRBC.
DRBC's Major Macro is always popular at events. Kids (and adults) can get their picture taken as an Aquatic Biologist Superhero! Photo by the DRBC. Steve Meserve shows an American shad they caught to the crowd. All fish caught on Sunday were returned to the water according to the Fishery's license. Photo by the DRBC. Kids & adults love checking out the trays to see what types of bugs they can find. Photo by the DRBC.

DRBC's Major Macro is always popular at events. Kids (and adults) can get their picture taken as an Aquatic Biologist Superhero! Photo by the DRBC.

Steve Meserve shows an American shad they caught Sun. to the crowd. All fish caught on Sunday were returned to the water according to the Fishery's license. Photo by the DRBC.

Kids love checking out the trays to see what types of bugs they can find. Photo by the DRBC.

Kids & adults love checking out the trays to see what types of bugs they can find. Photo by the DRBC. Kids & adults love checking out the trays to see what types of bugs they can find. Photo by the DRBC. Kids & adults love checking out the trays to see what types of bugs they can find. Photo by the DRBC.

Kids love checking out the trays to see what types of bugs they can find. Photo by the DRBC.

Kids love checking out the trays to see what types of bugs they can find. Photo by the DRBC.

Kids love checking out the trays to see what types of bugs they can find. Photo by the DRBC.