American shad and river herring regained access to 15 miles of their spawning and feeding grounds in New Jersey. Previously, large runs of each species would move into Rancocas Creek from the Delaware River each year, but the fish wouldn’t get far. A few miles upstream, their migrations were stopped short by the Mill and Pemberton dams. That will change for the better when, through a cooperative effort that included assistance from Wildlife Forever, a fish ladder will be installed around each dam. Biologists also “seeded” some species upstream, such as alewife, to jumpstart the return of baitfish migrations. The project is expected to improve fishing on Rancocas Creek, as striped bass, smallmouth bass, and pickerel are also benefiting from the influx of additional forage.