Here again the baby eels amass at the base of the dam. Rather than using the dams abutments, they now move to the spill gate of the dam. Water levels are lower now in August, it no longer fills and rushes through the hole where the spill gate once was. The baby eels take advantage of this by climbing along the side of the opening along the damp concrete to the wood frame on the upstream side. From here they move along the wood frame and drop into the back eddy to the left and right of the hole. The back eddy sweeps them along upstream of the dam where they find shelter in the mud and weeds of the pond above.
This photo is looking down stream through the spill gate. They climb along the top of the damp line.
This photo is looking upstream through the spill gate. You can see two elvers in the left foreground.
And two more looking downstream.
Here is a single elver scaling the wall.
