09-08-2004, 03:03 AM
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Division of Fish and Wildlife is taking another step forward in the restoration of lake sturgeon in the Red River Watershed. On Sept. 2 - 3, DNR fisheries crews released approximately 10,500 lake sturgeon fingerlings at two locations in the watershed. About 9,500 fingerlings roughly six inches long were stocked in Otter Tail Lake and the remaining 1,000 were released into the Otter Tail River below the Orwell Reservoir near Fergus Falls.
The reintroduction of sturgeon is part of a comprehensive plan to restore a species that was once abundant in the Red River, its tributaries and the many lakes in the Red River Watershed. Sturgeon, some weighing more than 200 pounds, were once caught throughout the Red River Basin. The construction of dams, poor water quality, loss of habitat and over harvest decimated sturgeon populations by the early 1900's.
During the past five years the DNR, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other local units of government have partnered to remove or modify a number of dams on the Red River and its major tributary streams. Five of the eight dams on the Red River's main stem have been converted into rock rapids, and numerous smaller dams have been removed or modified to allow fish passage into the tributary streams.
The removal or modification of dams also improves public recreation and eliminates safety concerns that dams once caused for anglers, boaters and others. DNR regional fisheries manager in Bemidji Henry Drewes said plans to address fish passage and public safety at the remaining three dams on the Red River are in various stages of development.
"One of the keys to success in the restoration of lake sturgeon in the Red River Basin is the removal of barriers that limit the sturgeon's ability to move throughout the watershed," said Drewes.
"With barriers out of the way, sturgeon can now get into tributary streams where the best spawning sites are located."
The Sept. 2 sturgeon release at Otter Tail Lake and the Otter Tail River were the fourth such release in the watershed since 1998. The sturgeon were raised by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) at the Genoa National Fish Hatchery in LaCrosse, Wis. Recovery plans call for stocking efforts to continue for 20 years.
Anglers are reminded there is no open season for lake sturgeon on inland lakes and streams, or on the Minnesota-North Dakota border waters. Anglers catching a lake sturgeon from any of these waters are encouraged to contact their local DNR fisheries office. Angler reports are very helpful in evaluating the stocking program.
An additional 5,000 fingerlings will be stocked later this month in the Buffalo River and Big Detroit Lake. Those fish are being raised by a private aquaculture firm in Minnesota from eggs purchased from the Rainy River First Nations Hatchery at Emo, Ontario.
The lake sturgeon recovery plan is a cooperative effort between the DNR, USFWS and the White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians.
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The reintroduction of sturgeon is part of a comprehensive plan to restore a species that was once abundant in the Red River, its tributaries and the many lakes in the Red River Watershed. Sturgeon, some weighing more than 200 pounds, were once caught throughout the Red River Basin. The construction of dams, poor water quality, loss of habitat and over harvest decimated sturgeon populations by the early 1900's.
During the past five years the DNR, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other local units of government have partnered to remove or modify a number of dams on the Red River and its major tributary streams. Five of the eight dams on the Red River's main stem have been converted into rock rapids, and numerous smaller dams have been removed or modified to allow fish passage into the tributary streams.
The removal or modification of dams also improves public recreation and eliminates safety concerns that dams once caused for anglers, boaters and others. DNR regional fisheries manager in Bemidji Henry Drewes said plans to address fish passage and public safety at the remaining three dams on the Red River are in various stages of development.
"One of the keys to success in the restoration of lake sturgeon in the Red River Basin is the removal of barriers that limit the sturgeon's ability to move throughout the watershed," said Drewes.
"With barriers out of the way, sturgeon can now get into tributary streams where the best spawning sites are located."
The Sept. 2 sturgeon release at Otter Tail Lake and the Otter Tail River were the fourth such release in the watershed since 1998. The sturgeon were raised by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) at the Genoa National Fish Hatchery in LaCrosse, Wis. Recovery plans call for stocking efforts to continue for 20 years.
Anglers are reminded there is no open season for lake sturgeon on inland lakes and streams, or on the Minnesota-North Dakota border waters. Anglers catching a lake sturgeon from any of these waters are encouraged to contact their local DNR fisheries office. Angler reports are very helpful in evaluating the stocking program.
An additional 5,000 fingerlings will be stocked later this month in the Buffalo River and Big Detroit Lake. Those fish are being raised by a private aquaculture firm in Minnesota from eggs purchased from the Rainy River First Nations Hatchery at Emo, Ontario.
The lake sturgeon recovery plan is a cooperative effort between the DNR, USFWS and the White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians.
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