Community Rivers Program Lecture Series: Milwaukee River Sturgeon Rehabilitation Program

Lake Sturgeon were once prevalent in the Milwaukee River system, however, habitat loss due to dam construction and overfishing have resulted in Lake Sturgeon being extirpated from the Milwaukee River. A combination of habitat improvements and a stocking program have made it possible for the re-introduction of Lake Sturgeon into this system. The Milwaukee River Sturgeon Rehabilitation Program relies on Riveredge Nature Center and its volunteers to raise lake sturgeon in a mobile hatchery called the sturgeon trailer.

Since the creation of this trailer in 2006, approximately 17,000 clipped and tagged fingerling sturgeon have been released from the trailer. This presentation will cover the complete history of the stocking program as well as an update on how the stocked fish are growing and returning in some of our surveys and will be finished with a brief overview of the future work to help recover the sturgeon population in the Milwaukee River.