Rahway River migrations. Fish ladders are inundated structures with small underwater steps that allow fish to navigate around a dam and continue their migration. Other approaches include removing obstructions that are inoperative or no longer serve their purpose, or improving water quality and reducing debris that obstructs passage. The fish targeted for upstream passage at the Rahway River Water Supply Dam are alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), white perch (Morone Americana) and the endangered American eel (Anguilla rostrate). Alewife and blueback herring are collectively referred to as river herring due to their similarity in appearance, range,
Alosa Most individuals die shortly after spawning. "Alosa" species are seemingly very adaptive vertebrates, so can change readily to adapt to their environments, as species are found in a variety of temperatures and waters. As "Alosa" species are generally anadromous, they are faced with various obstacles to survival. They may have to pass through numerous barriers and waters to get to either their spawning grounds or normal habitats (the sea in most cases). Estuaries are a major factor in numerous "Alosa" species' migration. Estuaries can be highly variable and complex environments contributing to fluctuating biological interactions, with shifts in osomolarity, food