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Two decades of sturgeon releases bring Milwaukee River spawning closer
A conservation partnership has released more than 23,000 young lake sturgeon over 20 years to help restore the species in the Milwaukee River basin. Officials are waiting for females to mature and return to spawn, which could happen for the first time in more than a century.
MILWAUKEE — A two-decade effort to restore lake sturgeon to the Milwaukee River basin has released more than 23,000 young fish, with the first spawning in the river in over a century a potential next milestone.
The program, led by Riveredge Nature Center, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin tribal communities, collects sturgeon eggs and raises the fish in a trailer at Riveredge using water from the Milwaukee River.
The effort marked its 20th anniversary this year. Its annual public event, Sturgeon Fest, took place Sept. 27 in Milwaukee’s Harbor District, where attendees released young sturgeon into Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Milwaukee River.
Lake sturgeon have existed for more than 130 million years. In the Milwaukee River basin, commercial fishing during the 19th century and the construction of dams helped push the species close to disappearance.
Male sturgeon mature somewhat earlier than females, and males have been spotted in the Milwaukee River. Female lake sturgeon typically begin spawning at about 20 years old; state wildlife officials hope females from the restoration effort will soon reach that age.
If they do, the fish could reproduce in the basin for the first time in more than 100 years, marking a major step in the region’s long-term recovery of the species.