A report from hikers set Michigan fisheries staff on a search that ultimately moved 27 lake sturgeon out of isolated pools and back into flowing water. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced the rescue on Sept. 23, saying its staff worked with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and Upper Peninsula Power Company on three missions earlier in September along the West Branch Ontonagon River in Ontonagon County.
An ordinary observation started the search
The first sign of trouble came on Aug. 23. Hikers crossing the river on the North Country Trail noticed three lake sturgeon in pools separated from the channel’s main flow. They reported what they saw to the DNR’s Report All Poaching hotline, and the information was forwarded to local fisheries staff. The hikers did not conduct the rescue themselves; their report gave biologists a reason to investigate and begin checking the channel. The DNR explains that the stretch has little or no flow at certain times of year. Water is diverted at Victoria Dam, which is operated by UPPCO to generate regional hydroelectric power, and rejoins the West Branch downstream. That can leave the channel between the dam and the downstream return dry or partly dry. In this case, isolated pools held sturgeon away from the full-flow section of the river.
Three missions, with more partners
On the first visit, DNR fisheries technicians Kyle Urban and Jack Cole found two sturgeon in an isolated pool. They moved the fish downstream to full-flow water, nearly a mile away across rugged terrain. The DNR’s accompanying photo captions describe staff using hiking bags and keeping the fish’s gills immersed in fresh water during transport. The DNR later returned to search more thoroughly for the third fish reported by hikers. That search found many live sturgeon in a pool clouded with sediment. Ten more fish were moved downstream during the second mission. The DNR said crews could not reach every fish at that point because of where they were and the equipment available. While staff planned another visit, UPPCO released water into the channel within the allowances of its permit, with the aim of improving conditions in the pools where sturgeon remained. For a third mission, additional DNR staff joined personnel from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and UPPCO. With more people and survey equipment, the group moved another 15 sturgeon to safety. The team then checked that no fish remained in the dewatered channel. Taken together, the three missions relocated 27 lake sturgeon.
Why every fish mattered
Lake sturgeon are listed as threatened in Michigan, where restoration efforts have continued across the state. The DNR says fish have been stocked in the Ontonagon River since 1998 and that this population is still recovering. The agency described the rescue as important because losing 27 fish would have been a serious setback for the local population. The work also let biologists collect data from fish they might not otherwise have encountered. That information can add to what managers know about the population as recovery continues. The largest fish recovered measured 55 inches, and the DNR said it is likely none of the rescued sturgeon exceeded 28 years old. The agency says it is reviewing historic flow and temperature data for this stretch and considering enhanced surveys with its partners to identify and relocate fish and other aquatic species that become stranded during low-flow conditions. The sequence depended on different kinds of help: people on a trail noticed something unusual, fisheries staff investigated, tribal and utility partners joined later missions, and crews adjusted their approach as they found more fish. Dave Caroffino, DNR Lake Superior basin coordinator, said work with KBIC, UPPCO and the public is part of preventing and mitigating environmental impacts from projects such as hydroelectric dams. The hikers’ report did not solve the river’s low-flow challenge, and the DNR says it is still reviewing ways to prevent future strandings. But it connected a brief observation to a response that moved all 27 sturgeon found in the dewatered channel back to flowing water. In Michigan, the DNR encourages people to report unusual fish sightings through its Eyes in the Field service; for an animal that appears to be in immediate danger, the agency lists its Report All Poaching hotline as another route.
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