![]() The hatchery supports white sturgeon populations along 330 miles of the Snake River in Idaho and Oregon, between Brownlee Dam (rive mile 284.6) and Shoshone Falls Dam (river mile 615). Past traditional white sturgeon aquaculture programs that capture wild reproductive adults and artificially spawn them present limitations, undesired genetic complications, and could reduce long-term genetic diversity.Īs part of a mitigation plan for its hydroelectric projects along the Snake River, Idaho Power’s plan integrates and prioritizes mitigation measures to provide the greatest benefits for the overall sturgeon population. Adult white sturgeon size limits the number of fish that can be captured in the wild and accommodated in a hatchery. To build populations, young fish recruitment into all reaches needs to occur more frequently than natural conditions provide. Options are limited to rebuild the white sturgeon population in the Middle Snake River. In many years, very few eggs survive and develop into young sturgeon. Although thousands of eggs are deposited in the Snake River each spring during the white sturgeon spawning period, it takes the correct combination of river flows, water temperatures, and habitats for spawning to be successful. These river changes have affected the ability of some white sturgeon populations to be naturally sustained. Even in that reach, reproductive success that leads to recruiting young fish is infrequent and depends on high flows and suitable water temperatures.ĭeveloping the Snake River to support hydroelectricity, irrigated agriculture, and growing municipalities has fragmented the sturgeon’s habitats, changed seasonal flow patterns, and increased sediments and nutrients flowing into the river. Only one of the river segments has the full complement of habitat requirements to support natural production. “In several reaches of the Snake River in southern Idaho, sturgeon don’t spawn successfully or consistently enough to support healthy populations and robust fisheries, despite releasing eggs each spring,” said State Fisheries Manager Joe Kozfkay, with Idaho Fish and Game.Īccording to Idaho Power, a significant factor is a fragmented habitat into river reaches separated by dams, since white sturgeon require large stretches of diverse river habitats to complete their full life cycle and reproduce. THE DEEP DIVE: THE PROBLEM AND THE SOLUTION Idaho Power received a 2021 Outstanding Stewards of America’s Waters award from the National Hydropower Association (NHA), for its work on this unique hatchery. The hatchery is part of the White Sturgeon Conservation Aquaculture Plan to increase white sturgeon population in Snake River reaches where natural production is low and conserve patterns of population structure and genetic diversity unique to the area. The 3,500-square-foot facility is a culmination of a partnership between Idaho Power, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the College of Southern Idaho. As this brief video shows, the hatchery was uniquely designed to hatch and rear naturally spawned white sturgeon eggs, known as repatriation. ![]() ![]() The goal? Sustain healthy sturgeon populations and offset habitat disruptions by the utility’s hydro operations.Ĭompleted in 2021, the Niagara Springs Sturgeon Hatchery is Idaho’s first sturgeon hatchery of its kind. Idaho Power Company’s new hatchery will release 2,500 juvenile white sturgeon into the Snake River this spring using naturally fertilized eggs. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |