Regulated River Flows Seem To Help Sturgeon Future Looks Good For Recovery Of Endangered Fish, Experts Say

Two wild young sturgeon were caught recently in the Kootenai River, providing fish biologists with some evidence that experimental flows from Libby Dam may be key to survival of the endangered fish.

“Some critics were saying, ‘You’re wasting your time,”’ said Vaughn Paragamian of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

But the capture of two wild sturgeon - hatched in years of higher flows - “is the beginning of some semblance of success,” Paragamian said.

A 7-inch sturgeon that was hatched in 1995 was caught in late July in a shrimp trawl that skims along the river bottom. Since then, a larger wild sturgeon, possibly hatched in 1994, was caught, Paragamian said.

“I know we’re going to get more this year,” he said.

Prior to this summer, biologists have caught only 16 sturgeons that were spawned in the wild since 1972. All were hatched in high-water years.

Biologists believe that consistently high flows during spring spawning season are the key to survival of the fish.

Since the sturgeon was listed under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been obligated to cooperate with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game in regulating river flows to benefit fish, although the agreed-upon flows are not what biologists would consider ideal.

Biologists have found when flows are abruptly reduced, radio-tagged spawning sturgeon turn around and swim back down-river.

“The future, I think, looks good for recovering sturgeon with these experimental flows,” Paragamian said.

, DataTimes MEMO: Cut in Spokane edition This sidebar appeared with the story: ENDANGERED FISH The Kootenai River sturgeon was listed as an endangered species in 1994. Fish biologists blame the construction of Libby Dam in 1972 as beginning the decline of the fish, which spends much of its time in Canada’s Kootenay Lake.